Struggle
by joyrid3
Summary: Ino can't fight her own feelings. InoXItachi pairing
1. Chapter 1

**N/A:** Why Itachi/Ino? I don't know...Probably because I don't want to pair him with Sakura. I know Itachi wouldn't be caught dead with any of them, but I wanted to give it a try :) I reedited the thing because I realized I had put the rulers in all the wrong places. I hope no one got too confused because of that...

The story alternates between Ino and Itachi's POV. It's the first time I write in first person so...I hope I'm doing it right :)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. If I did, all the characters would be older and possibly _R_-rated situations would occur...so be happy I don't :)

**Chapter 1: Crossroad**

I can't do this anymore.

I've been telling myself that for countless nights, on which the pain of my guilt became too much for me to handle. I've betrayed my friends, my village and even my own principles. For what? He will never _care _the way I do. It's not in his nature. The powers he possesses give him godly abilities. Gods only fall in love with humans in fairytales. Why is it I sometimes feel like I can understand him? The crime of killing your own kin is unforgivable and still, deep inside I don't judge or blame him for anything. I can only imagine what knowledge of the human mind _Mangekyou Sharingan_ offers. He's the only person I can think of that truly knows himself, his limits and his desires.

It must be excruciating to see your own naked soul.

* * *

Again, she is questioning herself.

In her mind, she tries to find a justification for my actions and she tries to understand me. I don't tell her that it's useless...her mind is still bound by that mockery of justice they call morality. Justice is a relative notion so moral should also be relative, subject of influence by one's personality. But moral rules are predefined and rigid. Who said the one who thought of this concept wasn't just exposing his own, subjective, point of view?

She will never learn to accept what she is until she renounces the principles that have been forced upon her by society. And still, she believes she knows me and by trying to accept what I have done, she tries to accept her own actions. She does not know _me_ entirely, but merely the sides I show her. You truly begin to know another person _entirely_ after you know yourself and to do that you must make unthinkable sacrifices. Ones she would never be capable of doing.

Her mind holds no secrets from me. She has never tried to see what the roots of her thoughts look like, what lies behind her feelings and reactions. She would be terrified if she knew. I find it beautiful. Her flaws are perfect or better said, her imperfection drives me to her in ways she could never understand.

She is my humanity.

* * *

I remember the first time I met him.

I was running off alone, after seeing the boy _I thought_ I loved with my rival. Funny, now I realize how shallow my feelings truly were. It was dark outside and the air was cold, too cold for me. I wasn't about to quit so I kept going until I left the village far behind me. I had no idea where I was going or how dangerous it was to stray from the village alone at night. Or maybe I did, but I didn't care. No one was in sight and I had my _kunai_ and _shuriken_ well prepared, my bad mood giving me the impression that no one could stand against me.

I distinguished a human frame in the dark, so I stopped a few feet away as my hand reached for one of the _kunai_. I couldn't see his face, but the crescent moon's light had shined for a moment upon his forehead protector. He was definitely a ninja, of what village I couldn't tell because the next moment he had disappeared into the darkness.

I kept my senses alert for any movement or sound, but I spotted nothing until the cold steel of a _kunai_ touched my neck. I quickly turned around and tried to swing my own _kunai_ at him, but he caught my wrist with a speed I had never thought possible. And then I finally saw him, or his eyes to be exact because they caught my view first.

_Sharingan._

I knew from my father what those eyes were capable of, but he could have killed me just the same if I looked away. So I kept staring at him, unable to say a word. My mind finally gave me the answer I searched for: S-class criminal, Uchiha Itachi.

All my bravery melted like butter and I can only imagine how amusing it must have been for him to see my terrified expression. I had never seen him before, but I overheard a discussion between my father and Shikamaru's, concerning how dangerous he was.

His eyes were fixed on mine and I couldn't pull away. I expected to hear him say the words that would throw me into a universe of pain. I could almost hear them in my mind..._Mangekyou Sharingan_. I don't know how I managed not to tremble, but I felt fear like no other time in my life. He kept silent, prolonging my torture, I thought. The fear of what was going to happen was suffocating me; I wanted him to just do it and get it over with, because the thought of getting out of this with my mental sanity intact never occurred to me. My eyes hardened. If I provoked him, he would stop toying with me and get it over with. My gaze now showed anger and my brows knitted, defying him.

To my surprise, he suddenly let go of my wrist and I just stood there, not comprehending what he had done. What sort of game was he playing?

"Run away." he finally broke the silence, his eyes still piercing into mine giving me the impression of fatality.

He was letting me go, just like that? Hope finally overwhelmed me and I was just about to do what he had told me, when one part of me suddenly revolted. He's not at all threatened by me (a fact which I had already known before and it had made perfect sense, but now it somehow felt disturbingly insulting) and _on top of that_ he thought I wasn't even worth killing? I was still a ninja and any ninja would rather die than be humiliated in such a way. In that moment I glared at him, truly hating him with all my heart. I was going to fight this bastard with all I had! Unfortunately, I only completely mastered one _jutsu_: mind transfer. He was straight in front of me and he underestimated me so he wouldn't see it coming. It was my only chance. I closed my eyes and formed the seal quickly:

_Shintenshin no jutsu_

I realized my body fell to the ground, but I felt no pain, because my mind was already outside of it and heading for his. I felt his eyes directly upon my naked mind and in that moment, I realized he could have dodged the _jutsu_.

But he didn't.

Instead of seeing the world through his eyes like I was supposed to, I found myself in a maze of some sort. A feeling of helpless fear struck me. This place was...his mind?  
I couldn't see through the high walls of the labyrinth, but I felt it with my mind. It was endless. It became clear to me that I wasn't ever going to leave this place. My fist clenched and my nails dug into my own skin. How was such a thing possible?

_Everything is possible_

He was speaking directly into my mind. I turned around, the feeling of despair threatening to overcome me. His figure materialized in front of me and I took a step back, instinctively reaching for the non-existent kunai.

_This is my world...everything you try will be useless._

I knew he wasn't lying, but I still held a shred of hope. I had to get out of here somehow...

"Cancel!" I yelled.

It had no effect. My mind wasn't returning.

_Why didn't you run away?_

He believed he was so superior...that made my blood boil and once again, my anger was stronger than my fear.

"Screw you! I'm Yamanaka Ino from the village of Konoha and I run from no one!" I shouted at him. So what? He was going to kill me anyway.

My reaction didn't seem to faze him in any way and his expression remained calm, if a little surprised. He approached me and I backed away, with the same angry expression, like a cornered dog. My back hit against something hard and both his arms shot up trapping me between him and the wall. His face drew closer to mine, so close that I could feel his breath on my skin. Funny how in that moment of life and death I acknowledged that he was in fact, very attractive.

He smirked and all the blood rushed to my face as I realized that, while in this place, he could read my thoughts. I couldn't pull my gaze away from his eyes, almost mesmerized by the three comma-like formations in the sea of red. The next moment, I felt his hands grabbing my shoulders as his lips pressed against mine. The breath stopped in my throat as my heart started to beat frantically, but I didn't fight it. Why? I don't know, but in that moment logic seemed out of place since, technically this was all happening in his mind.

I had so many questions...what was I doing...what was _he_ doing...why didn't he torture my mind like he did to so many others. But strangely, I didn't care about his reasons, or my own for that matter. Maybe it was the fact that I'd seen Sasuke with Sakura and I wanted some sort of revenge or maybe it was merely the thrill. I finally decided it was both as adrenaline surged throughout my body, making me shiver. I could feel his tongue parting my lips and every other perception I had disappeared. There was nothing except his tongue circling around mine and his lips moving on my own, giving me sensations I had never felt before. It felt like he was the only real thing around me and if he would back away, I would fall into the endless void. I felt my knees sink and his arm circled around my waist, supporting me. I couldn't feel the rest of my body anymore so I abandoned myself to him totally. He already had a hold on my mind. My eyes were closed, or maybe it was pitch black all around me, I couldn't tell. I couldn't even feel his body anymore and the effort of reaching into his mind had drained me of all my _chakra_. I started to lose the perception of myself, like my own mind was beginning to disappear.

Is this what death feels like? I wondered as I lost consciousness.

* * *

Her mind had returned to her body, which lied on the ground in front of me. She was unconscious of course and would remain so for at least a few days.

I approached her and, putting one knee on the ground, I lifted her head. A lock of blonde hair covered her face, so I pushed it away. How could she have assumed for one second that she could take over my mind? Foolish girl...

I don't know what drove me to possess her mind the way I did. Instead of torturing her, I found it more pleasing to use her own emotions against her. Her mind was strangely susceptible to me and I found out why later on. It seemed she had a crush on non other than my weak little brother and the physical resemblance between us had influenced her greatly. I had seen a lot of sorrow inside of her mind and it had something to do with my lesser sibling. Well...it was one way to get revenge on him, I thought, somewhat amused. It was in that moment I decided not to kill her. It would be interesting to see what path she would pursue from here on. She posed no threat no me anyway and I wondered if she was going to tell the Jounin of Konoha about our encounter.

I smiled as I looked at her broken form. If I left her here, she might never get back to Konoha in one piece.

* * *

I opened my eyes to see the familiar setting of a hospital room. Not just any hospital room, but Konoha's. How did I get here? The last thing I remembered was blanking out...my mind wasn't even in my body, it was in...

Then I remembered. Uchiha Itachi.

I flexed the fingers of my arms and legs, feeling them respond to my commands. I couldn't believe I was still alive and in control of my own body again. And more importantly, who brought me to the hospital? It was highly unlikely that the infamous S-class criminal would do such a thing, but it was also unlikely that he would leave me alive – which he apparently did.

Almost unconsciously, my fingers went to my lips. I felt a shiver throughout my whole body as I recalled the memory of his kiss. It was so deep and warm and it felt so...real, even if our bodies never touched...What am I thinking? I scolded myself. I couldn't believe I left myself to be subdued by him so easily. He was a murderer of his own kin, a monster. I hated myself for responding to his kiss and even more for liking it.

The sound of the door opening interrupted my inner struggles. Shikamaru and Choji walked in, each holding a flower.

"Ino...you're finally awake." Shikamaru said, sitting down by my side.

"Yeah..." I answered, wondering what I should say happened to me. The right thing to do was to tell everyone I crossed paths with Uchiha Itachi so they would probably have _ANBU_ go in pursuit of him. Who knew what terrible purpose brought him so close to Konoha...

"What the heck happened to you? The found you laying unconscious on the hospital steps..." Shikamaru's voice sounded worried. "They said you were completely drained of _chakra_..." he continued.

On the hospital steps? I didn't dare to assume Itachi had brought me here, but the thought did cross my mind. It was improbable that a by-passer would have taken me to Konoha because they couldn't have known where the village was hidden. Another ninja would have no interest in bringing me back and even if they did, someone would have spotted a foreign ninja entering the village. Itachi would probably have the skill to pass by undetected...I was more confused than ever right now, so confused I didn't even notice Shikamaru and Choji looking at me with worried eyes as I spaced out.

"Ino?"

I realized they expected an answer from me and tried my best to withhold the truth from them without lying.

"I...went outside the village and encountered an enemy ninja."

"Enemy? Who was it?" Choji wanted to know.

"I don't know...I couldn't see his face." I lied, feeling the first stings of guilt.

"So what happened?"

"We fought and I...used mind transfer, but he was somehow immune to it and turned it against me." That as close from the truth that I could get without telling them about the _Sharingan_, which would obviously reveal his identity.

"That explains why you had no more chakra, but it doesn't explain how you got here." Shikamaru informed me.

"I don't know...I really don't know. I thought I was going to die." I answered honestly.

"That guy must have brought you back..." Choji opined.

"You think so?" I asked, realizing at the last moment how hopeful I sounded.

They both looked at me a bit surprised, probably wondering if the whole ordeal had affected my sanity.

"If he did bring you back...the question is how he did that without being seen by anyone." Shikamaru thought aloud.

If Shikamaru came to the same conclusion, it must be the right one, I thought. He was the smartest person I could think of.

Thankfully, he couldn't ask anymore questions because the door opened and a nurse stepped in.

"I must ask the two of you to leave now. She has to get some rest. After all, Hokage-sama wants to see her this afternoon."

Shikamaru and Choji both said their goodbyes, but I couldn't even hear them. Did she just say Hokage-sama wanted to see me? How could I possibly keep the truth from her? Why would I? The village's safety was in stake...I had no idea what compelled me to keep my meeting with Itachi a secret. Maybe it was because he had stirred something inside of me that made me believe he wasn't the monster everyone said he was.

Either way...I had to make a decision soon.

**A/N:** I tried to keep Itachi in character, but I don't know how well I did considering he doesn't give a flying...you know what about Ino :) Anyway, I don't know when chapter two will be up, since I've got college to deal with and other stuff...but I won't take forever to update, I promise.


	2. Chapter 2

**N/A:** Well, here you go guys! Your reviews really motivated me and I stopped thinking about dropping the story and started to get a'typin :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto...there I go stating the obvious again...

**Chapter 2: Doubt**

My indecision lingered until moments before my meeting with Hokage-_sama_. I had many doubts, but the lies rolled out of my mouth so fluently I even surprised myself. I kept telling myself I had no reason to do this, that it was stupid, but I did it anyway...

A ninja, from what village I couldn't tell attacked me and his strength was far grater than mine. I had no idea how I got to the hospital. Of course I would never lie about something so crucial to the village's defense. These words rolled out of my mind like they were the pure truth.

But they weren't.

"You may go." Tsunade-_sama_ had told me and I rushed out as fast as I could, worried that I would turn around in the last moment and blow everything.

I was going to meet him again and I was going to find out just what he wanted from me. Only after that could I turn him in like I was supposed to.

oooOOooo

She had lied.

One side of me knew that she would do so, but I still couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was the resemblance to my little brother that confused her or maybe she though I could be changed into a good, honest person.

Foolish girl...I care not for such trifling values as goodness or honesty. Products of a frustrated mind, unable to break apart from its boundaries.

Morality...law...a double barrier.

Something that may be legal could prove to be immoral, so humans are tied by two chains, which make them unable to live. Why do they accept it?  
Friendship...love...such unreal fantasies to fool the weak. And yet she wasn't weak.

I couldn't understand her.

oooOOooo

I looked at myself in the mirror.

Long blonde hair tied up in a high queue, a rebel strand of it unwilling to fit inside.

Blue eyes stared back at me with a determined expression

What the hell was I thinking?  
My hand clutched on the _kunai_ and I took a deep breath. I was going to go back to the place where I met him. My heart skipped a beat as I remembered his eyes. Crimson orbs bearing the power to cripple someone mentally...

If that was my fate, so be it. I couldn't go on without facing him.

I packed my _kunai_ and _shuriken_, even though I was certain they wouldn't do me much good. I had made _Chuunin_ recently, but he had been in _ANBU _so I didn't even have the illusion of winning in a fight against him.  
Why was I going back then? Because a tiny part of my mind knew he had no intention to fight me seriously. He could have killed me back then if he had wanted to.

Doubts started to rise in my mind about his true nature. Was he as cruel as everyone said? Why did he kill his own kin? And most of all why the heck would he spare me?

I needed answers and I needed them tonight.

oooOOooo

Something drew me back to the place where I met her. I remembered the feel of her mind, a mind tied by the invisible chains of society such as mine once was. But still so beautiful in its ignorance.

She was willing to die for what she believed in. And yet her life seemed so filled with this hope...so bright...so different from my own.

I was going to show her the naked truth.

I felt her presence approaching and jumped on one of the high tree branches. A feeling I hadn't felt for a long time overwhelmed me – impatience.

oooOOooo

The cold air brushed against my skin as all my senses sharpened, awaiting any sign from the darkness.

I somehow knew he would come and I readied myself for our meeting.

He wouldn't get the better of me this time.

oooOOooo

I saw her entering the small clearing, trying to hide her fear. I admired her determination and the curiosity that drove her back here, but her senses were far to weak...she hadn't even spotted me and I was dangerously close. I could slit her throat with my kunai right now.

But I don't.

Instead I watch her as she scouts the area. The rebel strand of blonde hair, which I had pushed aside when she was unconscious, caught my eyes first. A _kunoichi_ shouldn't ware her hair long. It got in the way. I had to admit it was quite pleasing to the eye, though.

But then again, I had never been one to take interest in physical attributes. It's the mind that fascinates me more.

oooOOooo

My heart was racing as I acknowledged something was wrong. It was too quiet. My eyes try to pierce through the darkness as I sharpen all my senses. I can't feel anything, but something tells me he's close by. My hand reaches for the _kunai_, as futile as it is. I let the feeling of false protection wash over me as I feel the cold steel. I knew that I couldn't even scrape him with my weapon, but still only the feel of it gave me some sort of comfort.

The silence was beginning to suffocate me. Fear crept into my bones and all sorts of scenarios ran through my mind. I saw a sea of red and closed my eyes instinctively. The cold air brushed against my skin, making me shiver.

It was only my imagination.

oooOOooo

I could read her every move. She was shivering, but not because of the cold. I saw her close her eyes, a tormented expression on her face and I used my _Sharingan_ to look into her mind. She tried to hide her fear, but in truth she was terrified by the _Mangekyou Sharingan_. The fear of having another take over her mind and torture it...but there was also something else. Something hidden so deep in the corners of her mind, she barely acknowledged its existence.

A craving...

I decided I had waited enough, so I jumped from the high branch of the tree that served as my observatory, landing right behind her.

She quickly turned around and I saw her azure eyes widening with fear and surprise for just a second, after which she proceeded to fling her _kunai_ at me. I caught it between my palms and with a speed she couldn't match, threw it back. Very few could dodge my attacks and she wasn't amongst them. The kunai hit the bark of a tree, millimeters away from her neck.

She froze.

"I wasn't aiming for you. If I did, you'd be dead." I answered her unspoken question, fully aware of the arrogance impregnated in my tone.

I loved watching her reactions for some reason. She was so quick in jumping from fear to anger...It showed she cared about her pride even if she knew the opponent outmatched her.

An interesting combination, this girl.

oooOOooo

The sharp sound of a blade cutting through the air so dangerously close made the breath stop in my throat.

With a deep sound, the _kunai_ hit the bark of the tree behind me.

"He missed?" I thought, unable to believe that by some sort of miracle I was still alive.

He smirked as he told me that I could be dead at his very whim and I knitted my brows at his superior tone.

"Why didn't you kill me then?" I asked, looking him straight in the eyes. It was a dangerous thing to do, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of staring elsewhere.

"I saw no use in killing you. I don't do useless things." He informed me, standing still.

"Why did you come here? Do you plan to attack the village?" I asked in a high tone, observing his every move.

"The real question is why _you_ came here." He replied as his strange eyes pierced into my own, reading me.

"_I don't owe you any explanations!"_ I wanted to throw it in his face. But what good would that do? I had questions and he knew that well.

"You say you don't do useless things. Why did you bring me back to Konoha?" I asked and I felt my heartbeat accelerating as I awaited his answer.

He smiled and it was the smile I had seen many times on Kiba when Akamaru did something well.

My brows knitted.

oooOOooo

She used my own affirmation to get the truth out of me. There was more to her than met the eye and I could only feel pleased about that since it served to entertain me further. I don't know if "entertain" is the correct word for what I had in mind. She had potential and I wanted to shape her.

I felt like a painter looking at a raw canvas. But was it really raw? Or were there tiny dots of paint here and there that the inexperienced eye could not see. Underneath her mask of loyalty and courage lied something far different.

oooOOooo

"Your mind intrigues me." He finally answered and my eyes widened. It wasn't the answer I was expecting, even though I didn't really know what to expect.

What could he have possibly seen inside of my mind that was so different from his many victims?  
"What do you mean?" I gave voice to my thoughts.

In an instant, he was in front of me and I would have fallen back from the shock, but his hands grabbed my shoulders firmly.

I shut my eyes quickly, aware of the dangers his gaze brought, but his grip on me tightened.

"Look at me." He said. "I won't hurt you."

I chose to believe him, even though the fear of undergoing his torture crept into my heart. I opened my eyes and seeing him so close made the breath stop in my throat.

"This is what I mean." He said and my body was trembling as I looked into the two pools of blood that were his eyes. "This mixture of fear and wanting, your opposite emotions colliding..."

"What wanting..." I managed to retort, even when I knew my eyes betrayed me. I had always been proud and very stubborn.

He leaned closer to me and whispered:

"You hide behind the façade of a _kunoichi_ ready to die for her ideals, but in truth your ideals are merely a layer of thin ice and beneath them lies resentment and a will to break free from the chains of duty."

Anger flared in my eyes as he finished his phrase and millions of thoughts ran through my mind. How could I yell it in his face that he was wrong when the mere fact that I came to this place proved his theory?

oooOOooo

I restrained her wrists to keep her from drawing a _kunai_ in her anger. That would make me have to harm her and I didn't want that now. She wouldn't accept my words right away, but they would stir doubts inside of her mind and they would serve to awaken the truth. Her eyes burned with anger and that alone was proof enough to me.

I leaned in even closer, feeling her breath on my skin. It was uneven, coming in slow pants. I could break her if I pushed any further so I released her wrists and backed away.

Something akin to disappointment flashed in her eyes, just to disappear a moment later.

I smiled to myself.

"I'll be back here in exactly three days." I said to her. "It's your choice."

And I looked at her as she leaned against a tree, trembling, her azure eyes looking at me with a mixture of fear and awe.

I turned my back on her and she made no move to attack me while I walked away.

_Good girl._

**A/N:** I know this chapter's a little shorter than the first, but I just felt it had to end here. You're just gonna have to wait and see if she chooses to see him or not. (what girl in their right mind would choose not to?!) Anyway :) I'm going to crawl into bed now since I have an exam tomorrow...

Please review and tell me if you liked this one or not!

_Later edit:_ I apologize to everyone for forgetting some rulers _again. _I never seem to get the damn things right when I first post the story! I'm gonna use some punctuation signs to separate the POVs from now on...Gomen!


	3. Chapter 3

**N/A:** A bit of _ShikaIno_ in this one, interpretable as friendship, depending on each and everyone's own subjective point of view :) Main paring will obviously remain ItaIno, but I can't promise I won't spice it up a little with some _ShikaIno_, _DeiIno_ and other stuff that will pop up in my twisted mind. :)

Also, I don't detest Sakura or Sasuke, even if it might seem like it from this chappie. (Although Sasuke kind of pissed me off for leaving and...being emo all the time)

Thanks for all the reviews everyone! I didn't expect so much support, you're the best readers ever! - hands ItaIno plushies to everyone -

**Disclaimer:** Would I be writing FANfiction if I owned Naruto? Seriously...

**Chapter 3: Conflict**

I always liked storms. There was something about the roaring thunder and the lightning shining on the black sky that calmed me somehow.

I looked at the raindrops falling on the window glass as I stood on my bed.

After I got home, I found out my father was away on a mission and my mother had gone to another village to help a friend with _ikebana_. Maybe had they been here with me, I would never have thought of meeting Itachi again, but the house was empty and all I could do was to think about the choice I had to make.

Shikamaru was also away on an _A _rank mission, since he had made _Jounin_ recently. Maybe it was better this way, because he would have realized that something was going on with me. Out of all my friends, he knew me best.

It was pouring outside and the streets were empty so I jumped out of the bed and ran outside. I was still wearing the pair of shorts and the purple tank top I had slept in, but I didn't think anyone would be outside in this storm.

I was mistaken.

Walking hand-in-hand and apparently using the rain to create the mood, Sakura and Sasuke were strolling down the streets of Konoha, meters away from me.

They both stopped with a surprised expression upon noticing me. I presume the sight of Yamanaka Ino in her bed wear walking through the rain on bare feet must have been a shock to them both. If a thing like this had happened a few weeks ago, I would have probably been embarrassed about it. Right now though, I couldn't care less.

"Ino? What are you doing?" Sakura asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I shot back. The mere sight of them made me want to puke.

"You'll catch a cold if you go like that, you know." Sasuke said.

"What do you care?" I retorted and they looked at me, befuddled.

"Let's just leave her alone, Sasuke-kun." Sakura spoke in a soft tone, leading her boyfriend away.

I turned my back to them, anger burning inside of me.

"Him? Defeat Itachi? Dream on!"

Apparently I had said aloud without realizing it as I heard them both stop in their tracks.

"What did you say?" I heard Sasuke's voice.

I knew I should just leave it alone, but my temperamental nature got the best of me _again_.

"I said you'll never defeat Itachi."

In an instant, Sasuke was in front of me.

"What could _you _possibly know about it?" he spat and I expected his eyes to go red with the gleam of the _sharingan_.

My former best friend stepped in for her lover, yelling at me:  
"What's wrong with you, Ino?"

"You stay out of it, forehead girl!" I snapped, wishing for a pair of _kunai_. I don't know if I would have used them, but I felt the anger rise within me like no other time.

Sasuke approached me, activating his _sharingan_.

_What a cheap show of arrogance, _I thought, standing still.

"Tell me what drove you to say that." he said in a calm voice, but his eyes showed hatred.

Maybe I was taking it too far, but my thoughts cleared up in that second and I knew exactly where part of my resentment was coming from. Sasuke kept accusing Itachi, but in truth, he was just as bad, if not worse.

"You're no different then him." I said, looking him straight in the eyes.

In that moment, Sakura's eyes widened and I stood calmly, expecting him to attack. I think I wanted him to hit me, so I could have an excuse to fight back with all my strength.

Sakura finally snapped out of her frozen state and glared at me.

"How stupid are you, pig? That man's a murderer!" she shouted at me.

"Yeah? Well so is your boyfriend and that didn't seem to stop you! Didn't he also try to kill Naruto countless times? Didn't he treat you like scum for so many years? Didn't he abandon us all, hurting so many for his own egoistical search for power?" I shot back.

After that, everything happened so fast I didn't realize until the last moment how close to death I had been.

Sasuke was standing on front of me with his arm in the air, holding a _kunai_. His features contorted with helpless anger as I looked at him dumbstruck. He wasn't moving.

"If you lay one finger on Ino, I swear I'll kill you!" I heard a voice I knew too well.

I glanced quickly at Sasuke's shadow and saw it tangled in another one. A smile appeared on my face as I saw Shikamaru, his fingers forming the seal for _kagemane no jutsu_.

Apparently, he had also trapped Sakura and I coulnd't help but burst into laughs at their ridiculous positions.

"I don't even want to know what's going on here. But when I release you two, I suggest you leave or I'll have to call _ANBU_." Shikamaru said.

Ever since Sasuke's return he harbored feelings of deep resent towards him, because of his actions. He didn't trust Sasuke one bit and today's incident was enough to label him traitor in Shikamaru's eyes.

Sasuke said nothing, lowering his eyes so the flashes of anger would go unnoticed. He knew very well how low his credibility was.

I saw Shikamaru releasing their shadows and the two turned around and walked away without a word.

"Way to go, Shikamaru!" I shouted happily, almost jumping on him with joy for their humiliation.

He hugged me back, but released me quickly enough as he looked into my eyes.

"What really happened?" he asked.

"He just couldn't handle the truth." I explained.

"No one can handle _your_ truth." he replied with a grin.

"Well it's a good thing you returned from your mission early." I said, changing the subject quickly.

"Woman...you are too troublesome."

I smiled. I always felt a warmth inside when he was around, because of the strong bonds of friendship that tied us. Some time ago, we both thought it was more than that. We confused friendship with love one night and realized it was wrong as soon as we woke up. Of course, I started to yell at him while he merely gave me that dull look, reminding me that it was mostly my idea since he wouldn't have thought of engaging in such an activity with a woman as "troublesome" as myself. In the end we both started laughing and agreed that we weren't meant to be more than friends. But some doubts still linger in my mind and even though I see him often with the sand _kunoichi_ I know he still has his own doubts.

The sky was beginning to clear up and I remembered the choice I had to make.

"You wanna come over? I'll fix you something good!" I spoke suddenly. I feared being alone with my thoughts or better said I feared the conclusion my thoughts lead me to.

"What horrible things did I do to deserve your cooking?" Shikamaru asked and continued before I had a chance to yell at him: "I have to meet with Asuma to go over the details for the new mission. Being a _Jounin_ is too troublesome..."

He must have noticed the look of pure disappointment on my face, since he added quickly:  
"I'll take you home though. You'll catch a cold, going around like that."

I nodded and started to walk alongside him without saying a word. The most painful part of it all was having to keep my encounters with Itachi a secret from Shikamaru. He usually gave me advice – surprisingly good advice – whenever I was unsure of something.

We arrived at my front door and he stopped, looking at me with a worried expression.

"What's wrong with you? You haven't said a word. Usually I can't even hear myself thinking because of you." he said. "Is it because Sakura's with Sasuke?"

"No!" I shot quickly. "I don't give a damn about that loser anymore. She can choke on him for all I care."

"Then what's wrong with you? You haven't been yourself lately." he said, looking me straight in the eyes as if to figure out what ailed me.

"I'm just...tired." I answered, lowering my eyes. "I think I'll go to bed. Thanks for waling me."

He stood in front of my house for a bit longer and watched me as I walked in and closed the door, waving goodbye.

Who did I think I was fooling? I just hoped he thought I was upset about Sasuke and didn't want to tell him. Not that it mattered much anyway.

Once I found myself alone again bizarre thoughts crawled into my mind in my solitude. I remembered Sasuke's _sharingan._ His eyes were so different then the eyes of his brother even though it was the same bloodline limit. Itachi's eyes were calculated, intelligent and cold, yes, but not entirely frozen were as Sasuke's only showed resent, envy and a simple mind.

Maybe I was reading too much into this, but I knew I wanted to see _his_ eyes again.

ooooOOoooo

"You've sure been disappearing a lot, Itachi-_san_." I heard Kisame's voice.

"I don't think I need to report my every action to you." I replied, giving an icy glare. There were no true bonds in the Akatsuki. Mere work-related matters so to speak tied us together. Aside from that, Kisame and I were one of the few teams that actually got along. I couldn't think of another partner I would prefer best.  
Sasori? I pretty much detested his ways.

Deidara? His lack of seriousness is absolutely irritating.

Zetsu? I find his habit of devouring human flesh disgusting.

The others are not even worth mentioning.

All in all Kisame has great respect for me, but lately his questions were beginning to disturb my patience.

"Of course not, Itachi-_san_. I was merely making conversation." He excused himself.

"My business is my own. It does not interfere with Akatsuki in any way." I said in a cold tone, looking him in the eyes. I knew my _sharingan_ frightened him, even though he would never admit to it.

"You are right, forgive me for being intrusive." he said, lowering his eyes.

I admired his way of staying out of conflicts, even more as I had no intention of sharing my thoughts with him. Perhaps they would disapprove of my meetings with one of Konoha's _kunoichi_. They would interpret it wrong, the fact that I didn't kill the girl. Maybe they would even think it's love. Fools. I left this feeling behind me the day I killed Shisui. I will probably never care for anyone again. It's better this way, since love makes one weak.

I got up, turning my back to Kisame. I wanted to go to Konoha, have her see me there as I wipe out their best ninja. I wondered what her reaction would be. The excuse would be a simple one: checking on the _Kyuubi Jinjuuriki_, Uzumaki Naruto.

I quickly wipe these thoughts from my mind. I gave her three days to make her choice and she had to make it alone, undistracted. I always keep my word.

I had little doubt about what she would do and I had never been anything but confident. She would make a nice little toy...with all that stubbornness and hard temper of hers. I'll tame her and once I'm through she'll be as soft as a lamb...to the slaughter.

**A/N:** I'm kinda getting used to making short chapters, huh :) Sorry...but when I feel it's got tot end, it's got to end. The good news is that I'll update real quick, probably weekly, since I'm on vacation. YAY!

Pleeeease R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

**N/A**: Here you go, peeps! Your support keeps me going. Some of you may recognize some lines from _NGE_ in the first part of Ino's POV and that's because they made quite an impression on me.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto...If I did, Sakura wouldn't have the lead female role.

**Decision**

I lay awake in my bed, studying the dark sky through my window. Tomorrow was _that day_. The day I had to make my choice and, to tell the truth, I wasn't too good at making choices. Maybe it's because I'm a libra, but sometimes it would take ages to make up my mind even if it was for something as trivial as where to sit when I would go out with my team.

I thought about my friends, about how hurt they would feel after knowing what I've been doing. I though of Sakura and Sasuke and how good I would feel to have them find out. Did that make me an evil person? I didn't care.

I thought of myself and how much I wanted to see _him_ again. These past few days I realized I wanted to hear what he had to say, I wanted to know how a man like him saw the world...and this weight tipped the scales in his favor.

With everything that had happened recently, I knew but one thing: I was tired of keeping myself pure. Keeping myself _pretending_ to be pure...I wanted to dirty myself, to see the _me _dirty...

ooooOOoooo

There were no stars tonight...the sky was blank. Heavy clouds kept the bright, shiny things out of sight. It was dark and endless...just the way I liked it. For some reason, I always detested the stars. Even if they shined so bright, they all looked the same. It reminded me of my clan and our latent power, which none of them had the courage to use. They were all the same.

I let my mind wander to the girl I was to meet tomorrow. I had no doubt that she would come. Intense struggles probably filled her mind right now and she couldn't close an eye. I smiled at the thought. How foolish...to live on without knowing yourself...to fight with yourself, thus becoming your most formidable foe.

I have experienced that once and the memory is still suppressed in the deepest corners of my mind. I am not ashamed of it, after all...killing your best friend is a unique experience and the pain of that day made me what I am now.

I lift my eyes to the sky, turning the _sharingan_ off. Black eyes pierce into the black sky...and I feel one with it.

ooooOOoooo

Powerful winds make my window move back and forth as shadows of branches sweep across my room like skeleton hands...I feel my body shivering, not from fear or cold, but anticipation. I remember his eyes, his power...his mind and I pull the covers over my head, trying to suppress the thoughts. Of course it was wrong, but that only added to the thrill. I was trying to deny it, but I had made up my mind already. After all, my father always said: it's better to regret what you did than what you didn't do. Maybe the old man had a point.

Letting out the breath I've been holding, I get out of bed. It's useless to try and sleep now, so I turn on the lights and stop in front of the mirror. What possessed me to think about how I looked at a time like this I have no idea. Well, I have some idea, but I'm ashamed to admit it. Of course, I had outgrown that phase in my life when I thought I could sway any man with my looks. I smiled at the memory of a twelve year-old me trying to seduce Hyuuga Neji. I never liked him, though, even if he had the looks. He's grown to be even more handsome, but for some reason he doesn't attract me at all. I need more than handsome in a man. I want him to be the best at what he does...

_Like Itachi?_ A thought crawled into my mind. The first impulse was to mentally shout: "NO!", but come to think about it, the meddling little thought was right.

I shake the thoughts out of my mind, concentrating at my reflection. Long, blond hair fell down my shoulders unbound and a pair of blue eyes, harboring fear stared back at me. Fear? That would never do! My expression hardens and I try to make my gaze as icy as possible. To my surprise, it worked. That was the expression I was going to great him with so I practice more in the mirror. I just hoped my true feelings wouldn't overwhelm my "training".

A few hours separated me from him, but I was going to our meeting place earlier. I couldn't sleep anymore and that was just as good a place as any to train.

I get dressed quickly and pull my hair up in the usual fashion, not forgetting to grab my pouch of _kunai_ and _shuriken_. I glanced at the mirror one last time, then ran out the door.

It was dark, but I found my way easily as I jumped from one tree branch to another. There were no stars out tonight, I noticed. Heavy clouds covered them, signaling a storm was on its way. I felt happy about that. If there was a storm in my soul, might as well be one outside.

I arrived at out meeting place and, as I expected, he wasn't here. Of course, unlike me he could very well sleep the next couple of hours. If Akatsukis ever sleep that is...

I wasn't as naïve as to think his thoughts were disturbed by our meeting. Who knows how many times he played with an unexpecting mind such as my own.

My hand reaches for a _kunai_ and I acknowledge my anger rising at the thought of being a mere plaything. Then something lit up inside of my mind. Play thing, is it? If he wanted to play with me, I might as well play with him too.

ooooOOoooo

It was time, I realized. I had been watching storm clouds covering the sky for the past few hours. Not that I was burning with anticipation, truth be told I mostly knew how our meeting would occur, but I rarely sleep.

I stop on a high tree branch, too far away from her to notice me and watch her "train". My _sharingan_ made me see her moves in slow motion so I turned it off. Equally disastrous.

She had talent, that much was obvious, but her moves were hasty, uncalculated.

With a speed few _shinobi_ could match, I materialize in front of her, my expression a blend of arrogance and despise. I don't usually flaunt my superiority around, but it seems to annoy her so I make good use of it:

"You throw like a six-year old."

My guess was right and I watched with satisfaction as her expression went from surprise, to anger to something different. She now seemed calm and the eyes that stared back at me had an icy gleam. This amused me to no end. She had spilled her emotions all over her face and now was trying to act indifferent and cold. I decided to go along with it.

"Why did you come?" I asked.

"I suppose I wanted to see you." She replied, her gaze fixed on me.

I wasn't expecting her to be so honest or to face my eyes directly. It became more and more interesting.

_Let's see how much you can handle..._

I approached her slowly, looking straight into her eyes and saw the tint of fear she tried to hide. Despite it, she kept her position and didn't look away.

I was now in front of her and the sight of her sustaining my gaze so closely disarmed me completely.

"And why exactly did you want to see me?" I wondered how out spoken she would be now.

Without any warning, I felt her lips on my own and for the first time in what seemed like centuries, something truly surprised me.

ooooOOoooo

As I tasted his lips, a powerful feeling overwhelmed me. He could kill me for this and I was moving my tongue over the lips of a notorious S-class criminal. It was so reckless and crazy that I felt a surge of power throughout my whole body. I did what I wanted, regardless of the consequences and I surprised the hell out of him in the processes.

I felt him break the kiss, as he pushed me into the tree behind me. I couldn't read his expression and that annoyed me to no end. I couldn't see if he was angry, puzzled or even happy about it because of that impassible mask of his.

His eyes locked with mine and I tried to sustain his gaze as I did before but the three coma-like formations in his eyes started to spin in a dangerous way. Along with them, the whole world disappeared in a whirlpool of red, white and black.

The _Mangekyou sharingan_'s most terrifying technique: _Tsukuyomi_. So he was angry...and this wasn't exactly a pleasant way to die, in my opinion.

I saw him appearing in front of me, the rest of the world still an amorphous void.

"Why?" he asked simply.

Telling lies was no use in here and angering him right now was a very bad idea so I confessed:  
"Because I wanted to."

He paused for a second, then spoke:  
"Doing what you want is the right way only when you have the power to face the consequences...and survive."

I realized he was talking about himself now. It seemed like he wanted to give me a lesson from his own experience, instead of torturing me so I smiled.

"Can't you use any other colors in this world of yours? I look terrible in black and white."

He looked at me for a moment with an amused expression.

"I can use whichever colors I please, but I prefer these. My victims wouldn't be as frightened if they were surrounded by pink and baby-blue, would they?" he said.

I burst into laughs, part of me surprised at what he had said. So he did have a sense of humor hidden in there somewhere.

"Well..." I said, after regaining my composure. "It's all very pretty, but being mind fucked is not exactly my idea of a good time, so if you'd just..." and I rolled my finger, symbolizing a whirlpool.

Itachi raised his brow at my audacity. Or maybe at my foul mouth, but I just didn't care which. I'd just found out, or so I thought, that he wasn't as bad as everyone said. He did have a human side and by God, I'd dig it out or die trying.

ooooOOoooo

"Mind fucked, huh?" A pretty mouth she had there. It may seem odd that I, a notorious S-class criminal, would think that, but in all honesty – I despised cursing. A killer I may be, but I saw no reason to be rude and unmannered as well. After all, it was the sign of a weak mind to be unable to control one's vocabulary. This occupied my thoughts for so long that I almost missed her casual way of addressing me. _Almost_.

"Little girl, do you want me to show you pain?" I asked her. I didn't really want to use torture on her, because that would ruin what I was about to do, but she seemed to leave me no other choice...

"I thought I said I wanted out of here. And I'm sure you realize _"little girl_" is an inappropriate term, considering..." I saw her eyes trail up my body, to my lips.

So she could talk properly if she wanted to. Good. I didn't want to be giving away precious judgments to an uncultured brat. Still, she needed discipline. And bad.

Responding to my thoughts, a giant cross appeared and she found herself pinned to it, before my eyes. She was starting to show signs of fear, despite of all her efforts to hide it.

A _kunai_ materialized in my hand and I rose to her level. Flew or floated weren't the correct terms since this world was an expression of my thoughts.

She was breathing hard and even if her eyes were a light shade of gray in my world, they were still more beautiful than ever. I always thought people looked their best when they thought they were about to die...their whole life flashing before their eyes in a split second. I could see every emotion and I loved it. You could say that's because I have none of my own, but that would be an understatement. I do have emotions, but I can choose when to feel them...

ooooOOoooo

My breath came in slow pants as I saw him in front of me, _kunai_ in hand. I had probably said too much, which was no surprise since my mouth had the bad habit of getting ahead of me. Now I was going to experience what Kakashi-_sensei_ had told Asuma-_sensei_ about...and I didn't feel up to it. But I wasn't going to beg for mercy either.

His _kunai_ rested on my chest, cutting through the fabric so close to my skin that it gave me Goosebumps. Now only in my bra, a strange feeling took over me as I looked at him. I could look into his eyes all I wanted now, since I was already a prisoner in his illusion world. Why would he leave me in my bra, though? I wondered idly if he'd taken _"mind fuck"_ literally.

The cold blade rested on my breast and his eyes pierced into mine as he scraped the flesh with it, leaving behind a trail of blood. A small cry escaped my mouth, before I could stop it.

"You wanted to play...how far can you go?" He whispered in my ear.

He raised his _kunai_ to my throat and his mouth twisted in a grin.

"This isn't like the real world, you see...if I cut your throat here, you won't die, but you'll feel the same pain and I can cut it over and over again..."

I swallowed hard as the sharp steel touched my neck. It seemed so real...

"You can do this for as long as you want?" I asked in a strangled voice, trying to get in his good graces again.

"With you I can. It depends on how skilled the certain _shinobi_ is." He answered, not taking his eyes off me.

"How's that?" I wanted to know, ignoring the insult. Finding out things about him could prove useful...If I lived.

"Well..." He said, the _kunai_ trailing up and down my neck in what would have been a sensual way if it wasn't for the threat it harbored, "Simply put, it takes up more _chakra_ to hold an experienced and skilled _shinobi_ than it does to hold you."

Oh, how I hated being called weak! But this time I kept quiet and lowered my eyes from the intensity of his gaze. I'd show him...in time.

He smiled and the world started to spin again. It was spinning so fast, I felt like my whole body was disintegrating and when that feeling left I felt my knees crumble as I hit solid ground.

I was in the real world again and rain was pouring down on me, but that didn't matter much because all I could concentrate on was throwing up. I realized it must have looked pathetic, but all that spinning combined with the fear of dieing and relief for still being alive had made me sicker than I ever felt.

I coughed one last time, before daring to raise my eyes to his. I feared seeing disgust or despise, but he looked at me with an amused expression.

"Don't ask me to come out and play if you can't take it." He said, offering me a hand up.

I accepted it and, to my surprise, his statement didn't anger or annoy me. I acknowledged the pure, simple truth and my behavior seemed funny to me all of a sudden.

"Fair enough." I replied.

"You can look at me now. I don't use _Tsukuyomi_ twice in the same day." He told me.

I hadn't even realized I was avoiding his gaze. It was probably the fear in my subconscious that made my eyes look elsewhere.

"And why should I trust you?" I asked, looking into his eyes.

"You shouldn't." He answered and I smiled.

The sun was rising and the forest shined in the colors of the dawn even more as the rain poured. I looked to the sky and then to him, feeling a happiness completely out of place in such a situation. It was beautiful outside and I'd rather be with no one else. It's weird how the mix of opposite emotions could draw you to a person. Maybe I was becoming an adrenaline addict, but all I knew was I'd survived my third meeting with Itachi _and_ kissed him. Despite of throwing up and being a step away from death, I felt good about myself. And he must have noticed something, because he remained silent, just looking at me.

ooooOOoooo

I'd never seen anyone as radiant as her before. In the light of the raising sun, she gleamed like she was part of it. I could feel her emotions, while in my illusion world and it was the most wonderful mix of opposites I had ever seen. When opposite emotions collide, they give birth to the spectacular. In my case, it was the _Mangekyou sharingan_ and I was curious to see what would happen to her.

Then I knew I was going to see her again. I was going to shape her after my will and feel her struggle with herself. Power was the only thing that mattered to me, but for some reason, I also enjoyed taming her. And I wanted to do that without breaking her spirit. I even considered the possibility of taking her in as an apprentice. That _jutsu_ of hers could prove useful to the Akatsuki, with proper training of course. What a hit that would be to Konoha and to my foolish little brother. Perhaps this way he will learn true hate.

I chase the thoughts out of my mind as I look at her. There was no telling if she'd ever be worthy of joining our ranks. If not, she at least makes a nice little toy...

**A/N:** I'd be happy to know your opinions and constructive criticism is most welcome!


	5. Chapter 5

**N/A:**Yay! Deidara finally appears. Nothing fancy just yet though :P More controversial InoShika and ItaIno moments for you all to enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** For the millionth time...I DO NOT own Naruto.

**Borderline**

I keep the memory of him in mind as I run off, back to Konoha. The feel of his lips still rests on mine and I remember his eyes. His dangerous, beautiful eyes that haunted my dreams... How could I ever like Sasuke? He was just a pale copy. I bite my lip as I think about him. He's so forbidden...I wanted him with all of my being and I didn't care if it was wrong. Yes, I did want to fuck him and I wanted it bad. So what? I felt so good about myself, nothing could bring me down. Except...

Shikamaru was sitting on the steps that lead to my house.

_Oh, God, not him..._

"Ino. I've been waiting for you." I heard his calm voice.

_Shika..._

"Why?" I tried to seem normal.

He got up and approached me and I looked at him like a scared deer. I knew I he'd figure out something was wrong, but I just couldn't fake anything while he was around.

"Ino..." he started. "Why won't you trust me?"

I tried to look anywhere but in his eyes. I knew it hurt him, just as much as it hurt me. I cared so much about him, my heart twisted in pain, but I didn't want to hurt him even more by telling the truth.

"You know how much I care about you, baka." I told him.

He smiled in return and I felt warm. It was so different than with Itachi. Itachi made me want him, he was dangerous and forbidden...but Shikamaru was...he made me feel safe and protected. I knew he'd never hurt me and I knew he'd always listen to what I had to say. Damnit! Why was he showing me so much interest now? Lately he'd only had eyes for that Sand _kunoichi_...

"What are you doing here? Has Temari gone back to her village?" I asked with irony.

His eyes softened and it hurt even more to see him this way.

"Why are you saying these things?" he asked, his warm dark eyes piercing into mine.

"Why not? It doesn't matter anyway." I pushed further, knitting my brows.

He remained silent and I tried to walk passed him and enter my house. To my surprise, a strong arm stopped me in my tracks. I raised my eyes to his, puzzled.

"I don't know you anymore and it hurts. You know I care a lot more for you than I ever will for Temari. You used to tell me everything. Now you hide from me...why?" he said in one breath.

I resisted the temptation of hugging him.

_Oh, Shika...I can't tell you...you wouldn't let me do something so dangerous...you'd try to kill him and get killed in the process...I can't._

He saw through my façade with no effort and his arm wrapped around me protectively.

"You're the most troublesome woman I've ever seen." He stated.

"Yeah, but that's why you love me." I joked, looking at him with an amused expression.

To my surprise, he was serious.

"Yeah...I do."

My heart skipped a beat as I looked at him with awe. Since that night, we'd both agreed we weren't meant to be anything other than friends. I still felt a little jealous when I saw him with Temari though...I don't know why. I've always felt like he belonged to me, somehow, ever since the day I declared high and mighty that I'd be the leader of the team and he didn't question it.

I sighed deeply and finally looked into his eyes.

"Want some sake?" I winked at him.

"Since when did you start drinking?" he asked, seemingly amused.

"Since now. Come on, you can't refuse me, right?" I smiled.

"I never could." He answered, following me inside.

There was something about his phrase that triggered my memories. It was true...he'd never refused me or tried to argue with me on anything. I wondered why I was only seeing it now.

I heated my dad's sake and handed him a coup as I poured for the both of us. He was wrong; I did drink before...I just didn't tell anyone.

He took a small sip, then his eyes locked on mine.

"So? What have you been doing lately?"

"Err...nothing. You know...working at the flower shop." I replied quickly, lowering my eyes.

"Liar. It's been closed for days." He told me calmly.

I wanted to slap myself for making such a stupid mistake, but I thought he'd be to busy with missions to pass by the flower shop. I didn't even know what to say next. I couldn't lie to _him_ and even if I tried, he'd figure it out.

"I've been...training...with someone." I said, trying to seem calm. I knew what his next question would be.

"Who?"

"I can't tell you." I stated, raising my eyes to his.

He seemed puzzled and his eyes showed worry, but he didn't put it into words.

"Oh." He finished his cup and got up.

I felt tears flooding my eyes and clenched my fist until my nails dug into my own skin. I couldn't let him see me like this.

"Just..." he started and his eyes seemed sad. "Just be careful."

"I will!" I reassured him with a fake smile.

I walked him out and he left without a word. I wanted to call him back and cry on his shoulder, tell him everything. But that would only get him hurt and it wouldn't do me any good either. I had to be strong.

I closed the door and climbed the stairs to my room. What in the world was I supposed to do next?

My previous joy and confidence had melted away, leaving room for the horrible truth. I was meeting an S-ranked criminal and hurting my best friend in the process. For what? A thrill? I had to get back to reality. It wasn't worth it. I would go and tell Itachi these meetings had to stop.

My hand touches the scroll he gave me and my heart starts to race.

"_Whenever you will want to see me, use this scroll. It works like the summoning jutsu except it will take you to me instead. If the symbols are black, you can use it. If they are red, you should be cautious. I trust you wouldn't want to appear in the midst of the Akatsuki."_

I looked at the scroll and the symbols seemed black to me. Or was it dark red...It didn't matter. If I didn't do this now, I'd probably never be able to.

I bite my finger and the press the blood to the scroll, closing my eyes. I felt like being swept into a whirlpool and when the sensation ended, my back hit against something hard.

"Ow..." I muttered, scouting my surroundings.

It seemed like a plain room to me and Itachi was nowhere in sight. Was this scroll working properly?

I got up, shaking the dust from my clothes.

_I guess I have to find my way out of here. Hmph. I'll give him a piece of my mind...probably toying with me with this scroll._

I opened the door and rushed out, without a second thought. That seemed to be the wrong way to handle things, since I found myself bumping into _something_ and falling flat on backside.

_OW! One more fall like this and I won't be able to sit down for days!_

I raise my eyes to see a girl about my age, dressed in the Akatsuki uniform and looking at me, puzzled.

_Crap!_

"What's this, hmm?" I heard a definitely male voice.

"Oh, you're not a girl..." I clasped my hands over my mouth, realizing I'd said it aloud.

"I should say not, hmm." He replied in an angry tone.

His hair was blond and a strand covered one of his eyes. Blue, I noted.

"Who are you, hmm?" came the inevitable question.

I had to think of a lie and quick. As much confidence as I had in myself, an Akatsuki was definitely out of my league.

"I came to deliver a message." I said calmly, looking into his eyes.

"Message, hmm? What message?" he wanted to know.

Curious, isn't he?  
"A message for Uchiha Itachi." I told him coldly.

"Any message concerning him also concerns the Akatsuki, so I suggest you spit it out, hmm." he said approaching me.

I knitted my brows and my hand grabbed a _kunai_ as I looked at him defiantly.

"Oh? You think you can take me?" He laughed and the kunai flew from my hand, cutting through the skin in the process.

It was painful, but my eyes burned with anger as I looked at him. I came here to do something and by God, no one would stand in my way.

"You have a pretty face." He stated and I looked at him with awe. "But it doesn't fit that body. You should have more curves, hmm."

My mouth fell open before I could stop it.

_Wait...What?! How...dare...he!_

"Your head would look better separated from your body. I'm an artist, I should know, hmm." he said, coming even closer.

My temper got the better of me, again.

"You should talk, blondie! Artist? What kind of artist looks like a girl? A gay one, maybe!" I snapped.

"GAY?! How dare you, hmm?!" he shot back, producing a kunai.

"Deidara." I froze at the sound of that voice.

My aggressor turned around to see Itachi fixing him with his cold gaze.

"I believe she said she had a message for me." he continued calmly.

Deidara gave me a glare and then succumbed, walking past Itachi. His _sharingan_ gleamed in the dark corridor and I saw Deidara freeze in his tracks.

"Don't interfere in my business again." He warned and I felt a chill running down my spine.

"As you wish, Itachi-_san_." Deidara replied and I sensed the biting irony in his voice. Itachi however seemed undisturbed by it and approached me.

I suddenly felt like a child that had broken a vase and wanted to escape his parent's punishment. He pointed to the room I'd just left and I went inside, obediently.

As he closed the door I tried to gather enough courage to stand up to him. It seemed even other _Akatsuki_ members were weary of him and that only made him grow in my eyes.

"Didn't I tell you to watch the color of the symbols?" he said and his voice sounded like he was giving a child a lesson.

"It seemed black to me." I muttered.

"No, it didn't." he replied, as if he knew everything that went on in my mind. "Why did you want to see me so bad it couldn't wait?"

This was it. I had to tell him this was our last meeting, even if he was going to kill me for it.

"I..." I started, realizing my voice was trembling.

"You?" he asked, his eyes piercing into mine.

I took a deep breath, not letting his eyes mesmerize me. That dark appeal I felt for him was coming back and it was making things harder.

"I don't want to see you anymore!" I blurted out in one breath.

He raised an eyebrow, coming closer. I stepped back, intimidated and my legs hit the bed, making me trip. As my back hit the mattress, he was upon me.

My heart was out of control and I could barely catch my breath as he pressed against me.

"Why...so suddenly?" he asked me and his eyes were so dangerously close I felt my voice stop in my throat.

_Get a hold of yourself, Ino!_

"I won't betray my friends. I have no reason to keep seeing you." I said in a strangled voice, trying to look away from his ruby colored eyes.

He pressed harder against me and lowered his head until I felt his breath on my lips and his eyes so close to mine I felt the sting of fear.

"No reason...?" he whispered.

"No...no...rea..." the words stopped in my throat as his mouth captured my lips possessively, his hands cupping my chin. He didn't close his eyes, so I closed mine as I gave in to him. He ended the kiss abruptly and looked me in the eyes.

"You lie to yourself again. See. There is a reason." he explained.

_So that's why you kissed me, you...you...bastard!  
_"Get off of me!" I snapped, pushing him away, but he grabbed my wrists and I saw _Mangekyou Sharingan_ forming in his eyes.

My arms went limp and I quickly turned my head away, trembling with fear. I heard him laughing.

_Damn you!_

"Don't worry. I won't waste precious _chakra_ on you." he told me.

"Gee, thanks." I retorted.

He paused, looking at me as his eyes went black and I let out the breath I was holding.

"So, you say you don't want to betray your friends, but still you come to me, give in to me and love every moment of it" he concluded.

I hated him for realizing this and I hated him even more for saying it.

"I only came to tell you this was our last meeting!" I defended myself.

"You could've stopped meeting me on your own. You could've burned the scroll. But you preferred to come and see me and do you know why?" he asked me.

"Enlighten me." I replied ironically.

He ignored my mockery and continued:  
"Because you wanted to see me again and you hoped that by doing this you'd go back on your decision to end our meetings. Which is exactly what you'll do."

"And what makes you so sure?" I shot, angry that he'd exposed what wasn't even clear to me.

"Your mind holds no secrets for me." He answered simply, getting up.

_Why can't I do this? Why am I playing into his game? I'm sorry, Shika..._

My eyes flooded with tears and I lowered my head to keep him from noticing. Unfortunately, he didn't miss a thing. I took long breaths, trying to calm down, when I felt his arms circling around me. I froze, not being able to believe what he was doing.

"Blame it on me, if it makes you feel better. There's no point in fighting with yourself." he spoke slowly, still holding me.

And then I did something I never thought I'd do and I was ashamed of it even as I did it. I started to cry on his shoulder, hating him for being so gentle and hating me for being so weak.

ooooOOoooo

I stroked her hair, smiling inside of my mind. If anyone saw this scene, they'd surely think the great Uchiha Itachi had gone soft. Nothing could be more false.

I realized as I studied her, that she was moments away from insanity. Her inner struggles were intensifying and something had to be done or her spirit would break. And then there would be no more fun...I didn't want to break her so easily, especially since she was my first test subject, not to mention a way to torment my foolish little brother even more.

I also liked the way she stood up to Deidara...Silly girl. He could've killed her on the spot. I wonder why he didn't...was it because she said she had a message for me? Unlikely. Akatsuki members aren't that fond of each other.

I remembered her words. Gay, huh? That must have hurt his pride. It brings a smile to my face just thinking about it. Of course I couldn't break such a nice little toy...Not before it's time.

**A/N:** I hope you liked this one! Things will get even more complicated. Poor Ino. But hey, she gets to make out with Itachi so we're even :) Review and tell me what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**N/A:** Another chapter for you all to enjoy, filled with profound meditations on the essence of life, courtesy of Itachi and some ShikaIno fluff...hope it's not too much fluff. Fluff is evil.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own. Don't have. Can't sell.

**Denial**

In the moment he held me time seemed to freeze, like we were both in the illusion world created by his _sharingan_. Though this was hardly the main issue right now, I wondered if his cloak ever had tears on it before. Tears over an _Akatsuki_ cloak...who would've thought. And coming from me no less.

His attitude disarmed me completely...who was this person referred to as an S-class criminal? These questions confused me so I chased them from my mind. I would think about them later, when my mind would be clearer. The more he held me, the more I started to be afraid. Not of him, he made it clear he wouldn't harm me, but of myself. I felt so good in his arms...he took the pain I felt.

I was no longer sobbing, but staring at red clouds on a black sky while my mind was completely elsewhere.

"All better?" his voice was amused.

I snapped back to reality, pushing away from him. The painful realization that I felt extremely warm, which meant I was probably as red as a tomato, made me avoid his gaze.

I thought I heard him sighing, but the spot right behind him had suddenly started to seem very interesting to me.

"You know, I'm not interested in children." he spoke.

"What?"

"The way you act." he replied, appearing bored.

"I beg your pardon?" My eyes shot up to meet his. "I'm not a kid!"

He raised an eyebrow, visibly amused at my reaction.

"And what makes you think I want your interest anyway." I muttered. This man could annoy me to no end. I mean, one moment he's the ruthless, psychotic killer, the next he's gentle and even nice just to turn into an annoying, teasing monster. Which was it? Playing with illusions too much must have damaged his brain, I concluded.

"Who's the blond guy?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I don't mix business with pleasure, so you'll find you can't squeeze any information out of me." he replied calmly.

_Pleasure?!_

I took a deep breath, calming down. Who knew what the hell he meant and who cared. He was probably just trying to stir up some reaction in me so he could mock me further.

"Here." he surprised me, handing me a small cup.

"Sake?"

_Where'd he take that from? I didn't notice it before...Fine. You wanna play games with me, so be it._

"Planning on getting me drunk and taking advantage of me?" I asked with a roguish smile, receiving the cup.

If my reaction surprised him, he didn't show it.

"I'd have no need to get you drunk for that." he answered with a cocky grin.

_God, I hate him!_

I emptied the cup in one shot, shoving it in his face.

_Calm down, Ino. Don't let him get the better of you!_

"Seems you're no stranger to sake." he noticed.

"What's it to you?" I shot back, glaring at him as he refilled my cup.

He took only a small sip out of his, his eyes never leaving mine.

The alcohol was already warming me up and wiping away my inner struggles. I was starting to harbor a "so what" attitude and it felt pretty good. I emptied the other cup in the same fashion, then looked him in the eyes completely calm.

"Sometimes you don't seem like such a bad guy." I told him sincerely.

"What's the difference between a good guy and bad guy?" he asked, ignoring my compliment. Well, maybe to him it wasn't a compliment...

I'd never really given it much thought, that difference...you can tell by how they act if they're good...or bad, but it was more complicated than that. It was much harder to put into words, but I tried:

"It's a person's moral...and ethics."

"What is ethics?" he asked immediately as if he was preparing the question.  
"Ethics is the science of separating good and evil." I quoted.

"What is good...what is evil?"  
"Are you trying to annoy me?"  
"Are these meetings of ours a good thing or a bad thing?" he continued, ignoring my question.

"A very bad thing..." I answered honestly.

"Then why do you keep coming to me?" he asked and his gaze was so intense I realized he was serious.

"..."

"How does seeing me make you feel?"

"Do I have to answer that?"  
"No. I already know the answer." he said. "It's the way you look at it. There is no good and evil."

"You confuse me." I stated sincerely.

"Good."

I thought about everything he had said and I could find no flaw in his judgment. But there had to be one...what he said couldn't be right.

"But people have to keep morals and ethics in mind when they act...it's the only way to get it right." I told him, though I didn't seem too convincing.

"You confuse efficiency with ethics...In reality, sometimes it's the exact opposite." he answered thoughtfully.

"Stop claming you know everything!" I snapped.  
"I do no such thing. I know more than you, though." Despite the biting remark, his voice was calm.

"Well maybe that's just your _own subjective point of view._" I shot back, feeding him his own words.

"Perhaps. But nobody else's matters to me anyway." he said simply.

There was no arrogance in his tone so I realized he had just stated a pure truth, without mocking or boasting. I didn't know what else to say and it was strange since usually I had a reply for everything. He was highly intelligent, but his way of thinking was...wrong. At least I tried to tell myself it was wrong, because if it was right it meant everything I based my life upon was mistaken.

"Sake?" I looked at him, surprised. It was as if he could read what was going on in my mind and was trying to calm me down, somehow.

_I'm reading too much into this...again._

As the liquid ran down my throat, injecting a new amount of alcohol into my blood, I felt like opening up to him.

"Listen...Itachi..." I paused briefly. This was the first time I had spoken his name aloud and my voice seemed foreign to me.

"I don't know what's happening...anymore. I don't know who you are...or who I am for that matter."

My words stirred no visible reaction, but he seemed pensive.

"This is the first step towards reaffirmation." he told me.

"But I don't want that...you're making things too complicated. A while ago, my only worry was to get...someone...to like me..."

"My little brother." It wasn't a question so I eyed him suspiciously.

He closed his eyes and when he opened them again I saw the _sharingan_. That gave me the answer to my unspoken question.

I nodded before continuing:

"But now, I feel like my perspective on life is changing because of you and honestly, I don't like it. No offence, but your world sucks!"

He raised an eyebrow at my bluntness or at my manner of speech, I couldn't tell. Maybe both.

"I'm not accepting your point of view. But meeting with you is interesting..." I stated.

His mouth twisted in a grin and he got up.

"Use the scroll to return to Konoha and meet me at _that place_ in three days."

I knew that he meant the place where we had first met and I nodded my acceptance without any second thoughts.

"Bring what you need with you, but pack light. We're going on a little road trip." he said.

"I beg your pardon?" My voice was filled with indignation.

"I'm planning on training you, so be thankful." he replied.

Stubborn I may have been, but I wasn't stupid and an opportunity like this would never present itself again so I didn't object anymore.

When I took out the scroll I felt him grab my hand so fast that all I could see was a blur. With his gaze still fixing my eyes, he used a kunai to scrape my skin, until blood came out. I resisted the need to let out the breath I was holding. It was strange...I almost trusted him and yet he managed to frighten me so easily.

I placed my bloody finger on the scroll and the vision of him disappeared from my sight.

I felt like being sucked into a whirlpool and wondered idly if the animal summons felt the same way as the familiar scenery of my room appeared before my eyes.

I felt my body trembling so I took a deep breath, falling on the bed. The effect of the sake was starting to ware off and I couldn't believe I had that conversation with him. He seemed a perfectly reasonable person...something in the image he had created was wrong. But I didn't care about that right now. I was happy about training with him...or more honestly I was happy about seeing him again. Three days from now we'd be spending more time together.

_Wait...what?!_

As if an alarm bell had started to ring inside of mind, I realized my father would return tomorrow. We had a tight relationship, but I couldn't even imagine telling him about this. He'd have ANBU on alert before I could even blink. He'd probably find out I hadn't been to the flower shop either. I could always tell him I was sick...Great. More lies.

_Damnit! I can't miss out on that training!_

_Training my ass..._

_Shut up! No one asked you! Geez...I'm developing multiple personality._

Then it came to me! The perfect way to rid myself of any suspicion in front of my father's eyes and Shikamaru's as well. I'd hit two birds with one stone. It was dark outside and probably too late for calls, but I didn't even bother with that detail.

I dialed the number and prayed for him to pick up.

"Shikamaru?"

"Ino?" he asked in a sleepy voice.

"You were expecting Temari, maybe?" I joked.

"How bothersome...why'd you wake me?" he sounded grumpy.

"Well...I'm sorry for calling so late, but..."

_That should get his attention. _

"What's wrong? I don't think I ever heard you apologizing."

_Bullseye._

"I'm not feeling so good...so I was hoping you could come over and we could spend some time like we used to." I said in a sweet tone.

There was a pause, but I wasn't worried. I knew he wouldn't turn me down.

_Unless he's not alone, that is._

"You're so troublesome..." he told me and I held my breath. "I'll be right over."

I sighed, hanging up the phone. Good. Phase one was in action. I did feel sort of bad about using him like this, but in truth I did want to spend some time with him anyway and if I saw things the way Itachi did, it wasn't wrong.

_Great. Now I'm thinking like an S-class criminal. What's next?_

I heard a knock on the door so I undressed quickly, throwing my clothes on in the closet and changing into my pajamas. After one quick look in the mirror I stopped. Maybe if I looked prettier he'd be more focused on that and less focused on seeing through my lies.

_Like that would work on Shikamaru!_

_What? He's a guy too. I saw that with my own eyes back then._

Indeed, he was. I denied myself memories of that night, but he was so different from his usual self. I'd never imagined he could look at me like that...

_Argh! Enough of that._

I changed my pajama blouse for a tight purple top and untied my hair. Perfect.

I rushed downstairs and opened the door, welcoming him in.

He seemed surprised when he looked at me, although there was something else in his eyes as well.

"I haven't seen you with your hair down since..." he started and paused suddenly as I looked elsewhere.

"Well...since a lot of time." he finished the phrase tactfully.

I looked him in the eyes with a cocky grin.  
"I know I'm devastatingly sexy like this, but if I don't keep it bound it gets in the way..."

"Right..." he replied, appearing bored.

I felt like smacking him.

"You seem fine to me." he informed me.

I looked at him surprised, misinterpreting his words.

"You said you weren't feeling well...You look fine to me." he cleared it up, upon noticing my expression.

"Oh..."

_Like he'd make me a compliment...lazy bum._

"No, really...I think I've got the flue or something." I told him with fake worry. "Well don't just sit here! Come on up."

"No wonder you're sick, running around like that." He replied pointing to my flimsy top.

I turned around so he wouldn't see how red my face was.

_Moron!_

We came to a halt in front of my room and I gestured him in.

"I'm actually being invited into the sanctuary?" he said and I frowned.

He was smiling though so I forgot my anger and shut the door after him. I never liked to leave the door to my room open, not even when the house was empty. It was my own personal space and I cared for my intimacy. Sometimes I liked to imagine it wasn't even connected to the rest of the house.

I sat on the bed and he took the chair next to it, turning his gaze to me.

"Want something to drink?" I asked, pointing to the bottle of sake on the table.

"You keep it in your room now?" he laughed.

"Oh shut up...it's good for my cold. Makes me feel warmer." I replied, annoyed.

"I'll bet."

"Do you _want_ to start something?" I snapped. What was it with him and that sarcastic attitude lately?

"Depends." he answered calmly.

"Huh?" I was confused.

"Nevermind. It's too bothersome to talk about it now. I'll take you up on the offer for that drink." he told me. "Don't get up. I'll help myself."

"Fine. As long as you help me to some too." I said, raising my knees to my chest.

It was like things were beginning to straighten out between us, if I didn't think about the whole Itachi matter. We were behaving like best friends again.

"Thanks." I said to him as he handed me a cup.

I closed my eyes, taking a sip and snuggling into my knees. Things weren't so bad. I felt a hand on my naked shoulder and my whole body shuddered from the unexpected shock and the warmth of his hand. I turned my eyes to see Shikamaru next to me on the bed, his arm around my shoulders.

"You should put some clothes on. You're cold." he advised and I looked into his calm dark eyes, feeling strange. His hand touching my naked skin like that...it brought back memories.

I smiled, upon remembering that night. We were both hammered, to say the least, after some party and we were alone. One thing lead to another and I found myself...yelling at him.

_It hurts, idiot!_

_It's supposed to hurt the first time, woman! What a bother..._

I glared at him, he glared at me...and then he kissed me, forcefully and it took my breath away. In that moment, we were no longer best friends, but lovers and feeling his naked skin on my own gave me goosebumps. And even made me blush like a tomato as he looked at me. That seemed to attract him even more and the pain slowly went away as his hips rocked back and forth...After all was over, I ended falling asleep before him, ironically. I woke up in his arms and we both returned to our old selves, upon realizing what we had done...not that I was angry about it or anything. I just wanted to seem angry. He didn't seem sorry, but also pointed out the fact that I was the one with the initiative, after which he merely seemed bored of the dispute. We'd decided staying friends was the best solution...but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about that night sometimes.

Like now, when he was so close to me and we were alone...

"Your face is red. I think you have a fever." his voice interrupted my dirty thoughts.

_Whoever said he was smart? He's a freaking idiot._

I frowned at him as he placed his palm on my forehead, appearing genuinely worried.

"You're burning up. Pull that blanket over yourself..." he scolded me, sounding almost parental.

_There go my fantasies..._

I had to admit, I liked the way he fussed over me and all the worry he displayed. Even though he was muttering something about "_troublesome woman_" and "_doesn't know how to take care of herself_", I smiled at him warmly.

"Drink that up. It'll make you warmer." he instructed.

"Ossu!" I replied, mimicking Lee.

He laughed and pulled the blanket over both of us.

"So? What have you been up to?" I asked, feeling a little embarrassed at his proximity.

"Missions...troublesome." he told me, sighing.

_Good old lazy Shikamaru. At least that'll never change._

"What about...you know...Temari?" My tone was unsure. I didn't want him to think I cared or anything. Even if _I did_.

"Ugh."

"_Ugh?_"

"Yes, _ugh_. There was never _something_ between me and Temari. I thought you realized that." There was a sort of bitterness in his voice I didn't fail to notice.

"But...you two were always together..."

"Mission related, I told you that back then too." he frowned.

"Like _anyone_ believed that!" I snapped.

"_You _should've known better!" he shot back and it was the first time I saw him get so heated up in a dispute. "What am I saying..." he continued before I could say something back.

"You're so dense sometimes..." he lowered his tone.

I was preparing to give him a piece of my mind, but something in his expression stopped me. He seemed...upset about something. Why'd he be upset because I assumed there was something between him and Temari? Everyone thought that...

His gaze turned to me and his expression changed. He didn't seem sad anymore, probably upon witnessing my puzzled expression.

"You should sleep...rest will do you good." he said to me.

"But I want to talk with you more...I..."

"I'll still be here tomorrow" he interrupted me.

"Dad's coming back tomorrow..." I informed him, somewhat disappointed.

"I'll sleep in the guest room."

I wanted him to stay here, with me. I don't know why, but I wanted him by my side. And truth be told, I usually hated sleeping in the same bed with _anyone_. I needed my space and I had this ridiculous feeling that the person next to me could intrude into my thoughts, before I went to sleep.

He must of noticed my gloomy expression, so he added:

"I'll stay here until you fall asleep. Come on, be a good girl." he said, as if speaking to a child.

I didn't mind right now, though, so I complied and placed my head on the pillow, waiting for sleep to claim me. My plan had worked well though and my father would find Shikamaru here with me, telling him how ill I was. Then he won't have to ask me nagging questions about why the flower shop had been closed and what I've been doing all this time. I could just picture him.

_Training? With who? I heard Asuma, Shikamaru and Choji were busy..._

_Oh, dad, no one you know personally. His name is Uchiha Itachi._

_WHAT?!_

_Oh, you've heard of him...Probably because of that small incident of murdering his whole clan. It's okay though, he's really a nice person!_

Okay, not funny. Shikamaru's arms circled around me and I felt my body tense. His breath was slow and even though, so I assumed he had no _other_ plans.

"Hey! Don't fall asleep _here_!" I gave him a nudge.

"Damn it, woman...I told you I'd leave as soon as you're asleep. Now stop making me wait...so troublesome."

I smiled, with my back against his chest and complied to his request.

**A/N:** Don't worry, guys! I'm not turning this into a ShikaIno. Though I'm tempted. Very tempted. But it'll sort of be a triangle thingy. I know you all love triangles so you won't mind -ducks flying objects-


	7. Chapter 7

**N/A:** I realize I've only portrayed Ino's POV these last few chapters, but I'm gonna change that! I'll try to have more of Itachi's personal perspective in every chappie from now on!

**Disclaimer:** Why...must I always repeat such a painful truth?

**Training**

I was surrounded by red. I had no idea what this place was, but it was vast and empty...a void. Could I really exist here, phisically? Or was I just a spectral image of myself...I couldn't tell...I couldn't feel. But I could see...I could distinguish the color of this shapeless place...where were my eyes? I couldn't move.

Suddenly, I felt terror. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't...I had to get out! I...who was I?

I saw a dark sphere in the distance, distinguishing itself from the bloody background. No...there were more of them. One in the center and three more, orbiting around it.

Eyes?

Who's eyes?

_His eyes._

The world was flooded by color and feeling. I was breathing, I could feel the air filling my lungs and I could move my body. Memories...Of course I know who I am! I'm Yamanaka Ino! Those strange pupils...this void..._Sharingan_!

_Itachi!_

I opened my eyes abruptly, feeling drops of sweat sliding down my temples. The setting of my room seemed unfamiliar to me at first, but I recognized it soon enough and tried to level my breathing. I was gasping and my body was trembling.

What _the fuck_ was up with that dream?

I wasn't a suspicious person, but what I had just experienced looked a hell of a lot like_Tsukuyomi_.

That's stupid. Even Itachi can't attack a person from such a distance. An illusionary technique like the one he uses is done by eye contact. It couldn't be possible, I told myself and relaxed a little. Imagine what he could do if it were...S-class wouldn't be enough to label him.

But still, this dream was unnerving. Maybe I shouldn't go...

I heard my father's voice downstairs, accompanied by Shikamaru's so I fixed my hair a little and hurried down.

"I'm afraid she's not feeling too well, Inoichi-_san_." Shikamaru was saying as I entered the room.

My father turned his eyes towards me, appearing worried.

"What's wrong, princess?" he asked me.

I didn't appreciate the affectionate nickname he gave me right now, especially if he used it in front of other people. How was I supposed to seem like a skilled, fearless _kunoichi_ if he kept calling me princess? Not to mention I wasn't twelve years old anymore. Thankfuly, Shikamaru knew of this habbit of his so I didn't feel to emberassed.

"Nothing, it's just a cold." I told him.

"Still, don't push yourself." he instructed.

I nodded, looking elsewhere. I was going to come up with some lie so I could leave, but after that dream I wasn't sure meeting Itachi would be such a good idea. He could do all those things to me...he could screw up my mind so bad I might not even remember who I was...

"I'm so sorry I can't stay and take care of you, Ino...but I've got a new mission." I looked at him, surprised. He didn't seem sorry at all. Moreover, his whole face seemed to glow with joy. It was only natural, I thought. My father wasn't getting as many missions lately and he felt rusty.

"Yep. _InoShikaCho_ will be reunited for this one!" he told us proudly.

"Dad too? How troublesome...tell the old man to be careful." Shikamaru muttered.

"Now, Shikamaru, we're not old yet! Enemies should know better than to mess with the ultimate formation!" my father emphasised.

_Silly man_...I found myself thinking as I shot him an affectionate glance.

"Take care of Ino for me, will you? I have to go meet with Shikaku and Choza."

Shikamaru nodded and my father hugged me tightly before taking off like the wind.

"I bet dad's not too pleased about this mission." Shikamaru told me. "He's even lazier than I am."

"No one's lazier than you." I shot, amused.

As expected, that didn't seem to phaze him, but he did look tired.

"Didn't sleep well?" I questioned him.

"Meh..."

"That's rare." I noted, wondering what could keep such a lazy bastard awake at night.

"Your bed's softer." He said in a low voice.

"Don't even _dream_ about it" I snapped.

_Hmph. Perv._

It was only after my outburst that I noticed he didn't look like he was joking. Infact, he seemed pretty darn serious and somewhat upset. Nothing like the Shikamaru _I_ knew.

Before I could question him, I heard a knock on the door. It was Choji and I let him in with a bright smile. It had been a long time since we were all together. Even Shikamaru snapped out of his gloomy mood.

"Hey Ino, Shikamaru." he greeted.

"Choji! We were just about to have breakfast. Wanna join us?" I was so happy that he was here, I even renounced my determination to have him diet.

Choji sighed and we both looked at him, surprised.

"I'd love to, but I can't stay...And neither can you two. We've got an urgent mission in the Wave Country." he explained.

"What a drag...And I just got back too." Shikamaru complained.

_Mission? Now? What about...No, I said I wasn't going! But father left...it would be so much easier..._

My inner troubles were probably written all over my face and Shikamaru misinterpreted them.

"Ino can't go. She's sick." he told Choji.

I looked at him with awe, first because I had almost forgotten I was supposed to be sick and second because I didn't expect I'd get out of this so easily.

"Oh, I see." Choji said, eying me with worry. "I hope you get well soon. I'll tell Asuma-_sensei_ that you couldn't come, but we have to go _now_ or he'll skin me alive."

He turned to the door and Shikamaru followed him. I watched them exiting my house in the same state of confusion. I couldn't even concentrate on saying anything, it was all happening too fast. First my father and then this! It was like...fate.

Shikamaru stopped and turned to me.  
"Ino, I..."

"Huh?" I snapped back to reality.

He sighed. "Nevermind...I'll tell you when I come back." With that he turned his back on me and left.

"Be careful!" I called after them.

I shut the door and leaned against it, taking a deep breath.

_Well now it would be just stupid not to go. Well, except for the fact that if I DO go, I might never come back._

_Baka. He could have killed you anytime._

That was indeed true, but it _was_ weird that he'd want to train me all of a sudden.

_Maybe he realized how much potential I have. Hmm._

Despite my narcisistic tendencies, I wasn't too inclined to believe that.

_Only one way to find out._

oooooOOooooo

I wondered what kind of creature she would become...I was planning on shaping her during this little training session. I had no doubt her skills were below average and I had to refrain from causing her heavy damage. Still, she was an umpredictable being. I liked that about her, especially since human behavior held little secrets from me. I was intrigued at her ability to feel contradictory emotions at the same time. I felt that way once...hate and love...joy and suffering. That supreme moment when they become one is something I will never forget, because it made me what I am today. She was divided between her duty to the village and her forbidden craving. I could say her forbidden craving referred to me, but that would be an incomplete truth. Although she doesn't know it yet, she craves to break free of her chains. She wants to know how I did it; she craves for a freedom she never had. I can understand some of these feelings, but I'm curious how far she'd be willing to go to attain freedom.

_And I will make you my creation, my goal...my new meaning._

She's fearless...in a way. Rash is the better word, I presume. I remember the way she stood up to Deidara. He hates me even more right now, but that won't do_him_ any good. Even by training his left eye, he'll never be able to defeat me...not someone of his level. I suppose he didn't kill her on the spot because he found her interesting, knowing Deidara's appreciation of art...in all of its many forms.

It can't help but wonder...why she desired my little brother. Knowing him and his goal, he'd never be able to satisfy her. How could she not realize that? What was it that blinded her, I wonder...Whatever it was, it was a shallow emotion...one not worth mentioning. After all...in the world we live in..._love is dead._

oooooOOooooo

As I lay awake in bed, I think about everything that' s happened lately. Not only was I getting friendly with a notorious missing _nin, _but I also found out that Shikamaru and Temari had nothing going on. That came as a bit of a shock, since I knew for a fact that she was interested in him. That meant he turned her down, for some reason. I felt a little hurt in my pride that he hadn't tried anything with me...even though it was my idea to stay friends after what happened, he didn't even push it. I know Shikamaru rarely pushes anything, but...

_Argh, enough of THAT!_

And then there was that other thing with Itachi. I found him so _god damn_ appealing sometimes...and all sorts of fantasies would creep into my mind lately. This of course was _very wrong_, considering I was about to meet him tomorrow.

_I'd like to annoy him just like he annoys me. I have to find a way to outsmart him. I won't lose this round._ I promised to myself, before drifting away to sleep.

oooooOOooooo

I turn my eyes to my ever-present partner. Always one step behind me, like a fateful shadow.

"I'll be missing for a few days..." I tell him without feeling. He's used to seeing me this way...empty. But surprisingly...even to me...I'm not.

"You have...business to attend to, Itachi-_san_?" he asks, trying to hide the curiosity in his tone. Always polite.

"A private matter requires my attention." I inform him. I had no intention of discussing my "business" with him and he knew me too well to insist.

"We have no imminent duties, so I might as well take this as a small vacation." he grinned, looking into the distance. Unlike me, he seemed eager to share his plans.

"Do as you wish." I pause, looking him in the eyes. I know this makes him feel uneasy, because he knows the extent of my power. "But don't draw attention to yourself."

"Of course, Itachi-_san_." he says and I turn away from him.

There was no need to establish a meeting place...we had our own ways of finding each other.

oooooOOooooo

It was close to dawn when my alarm clock rang and I practically jumped out of bed. I didn't think I'd be needing the alarm to get up, since I assumed I wouldn't be able to get any shut-eye tonight. But when I climbed into the confort of my bed, I remembered the feel of Shikamaru's chest rising and falling against my back and his arms around me. Then I imagined what it would have felt like if _other_ arms were around me and the next thing I knew, the alarm started to ring! The_something_ I felt for him was growing...

_Fuck._

Well, at least I'll be rested for the no doubt painful and tiring ordeal I'll have to go through. And I won't have bags under my eyes.

Okay. Now to get ready.

I open my closet and toss my regular purple attire aside. I wanted something different now. I choose a black outfit I haven't ever worn. It was supposed to come in handy at nighttime, making it easier for me to sneak around unseen. The top part of it looked similar to my purple one, just as short, but tighter. The bottom part consisted in the type of pants male _shinobi_ used to wear, but tighter and with many hidden pockets. Perfect for hiding an extra _kunai_ or two.

I looked so much better with my hair down, I concluded, looking in the mirror. I was tempted to go like that, but I didn't want him to think I was trying to impress him in any way so I tied it up quickly.

I hesitated slightly, looking at my forehead protector. If I were to be seen in his company, it wouldn't do for them to realize I'm from Konoha. I was going to leave it at home. Without my regular attire and my _hitae ate_, I felt a bit strange. But at least the chances of being recognized dropped considerably.

I fill my pouch with_kunai_ and _shuriken_, stuffing some of them in my hidden pockets. I had the feeling I was forgetting something, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't realize what it was. It was probably just a feeling.

Taking a deep breath, I rush out of the house and start running.

I ran, ran, ran...trying to ignore the frantic beating of my heart. I was used to running, so my rapid pulse had nothing to do with the effort.

_Calm down, damn it!_

Just a little more, I thought, leaving Konoha's gates behind. Only a little more. The guards had seen me exit the village so I was going to have trouble explaining why I was missing for so long, but that was the least of my worries right now.

I took to the trees, thinking I could reach my destination faster this way. I wondered if he was going to be there. I wondered if I should prepare a _kunai_, just in case. Maybe trusting him was a mistake. On the other hand, a_kunai_ wouldn't be much of a weapon against _him_, now would it?  
I fastened my pace, jumping from branch to branch, until I landed on a high tree, above the clearing. The breath stopped in my throat, upon noticing a cloaked figure. The sun wasn't up yet and I couldn't see his face from this distance, but I rested my hand on the cold bark of the tree. I was trembling.

_Get a hold of yourself, Ino!_

This was our fourth meeting and still he managed to have the same effect on me as if it were the first.

He was standing still and not even looking in my direction...could it be that he didn't notice me? I waited a few more minutes, breath caught in my throat, to see if he would react. Nothing. Slowly, I reached for my pouch. Of course, I realized I he'd probably catch the _kunai_ before it even scraped his skin, but I figured it would be a good way to make my entrance. I smiled, feeling my confidence return. Grabbing hold of the kunai, I aimed it in his direction.

"When are you going to come down from there?" his voice made my body freeze.

_That little...so he knew I was there the whole time!_ My fist tightened around the cold steel of the _kunai_.

Concealing my hurt pride, I jumped down as gracefully as I could and landed in front of him. Straightening my posture, I looked him in the eyes.

A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. In the shades of blue that preceded the rising sun, he looked like a statue.

I realized I still held the _kunai_, so I flipped it between my fingers and put it back in the pouch. He remained silent.

As much as I was trying to mimic his attitude, this was really starting to annoy me, especially since I was from being the silent type. I was just about to open my mouth, when he finally spoke:

"Let us waste no time. Come at me."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You're...just going to stand there?"

"Yes." he answered calmly.

Taking a closer look at him, I realized his eyes were completely black.

"And you're not using your _sharingan_." I continued.

"No." he replied in the same tone.

He had no weapons, he wasn't going to move from the spot and he had deactivated his_sharingan_? What did he take me for?

A hot wave of anger surged throughout my whole body.

_Okay, what do I know about him?_ He's a _dojutsu _user. As far as I've heard and seen, his fighting style is based on the use of _genjutsu_, amplified by his _sharingan_ and ultimately _Mangekyou_.

_He's seriously underestimating me_, I concluded, charging at him.

I was the best at_taijutsu_ out of all the _kunoichi. _He was going to see what arrogance earned him.

When I was but a step away from him, I leaped suddenly, my leg drawing a semi-circle in the air and heading directly for his face. He defended, effortlessly. But I had already planned the next move. When my feet touch the ground, I flung two kunai at him, which I had been keeping between the fingers of my right arm. He caught them between his fingers, his expression remaining impassive. That only served to anger me further. My fingers made a seal and several other Ino appeared next to me. Unfortunately, they weren't shadow replications, but without his _sharingan_, he shouldn't be able to tell the difference so quickly. Mixing between us as we ran, each one flung her fist at him. I was hoping he'd try to defend the ones that weren't real so that I could get a clear hit. Unfortunately, before I could even notice what was happening, I felt him catch my arm and twist it behind my back. Next thing I knew, my chest was being pushed into a tree, a little too hard to be comfortable as he pressed upon my back, still holding my wrist painfully twisted.

I gasped, my eyes tearing from the pain.

"You're weak." he whispered into my ear and pressed me harder against the hard bark of the tree.

My breath was coming in rapid pants, between clenched teeth.

Suddenly, he turned me around, releasing my wrist. His hands dug into my shoulders, bruising the skin as he stared into my eyes. I frowned at him. I felt no fear, just _anger_. Pure, burning anger. His feet were spread as he held me so tight, I couldn't move my arms. My foot shifted silently and I looked at him with narrowed eyes. Without wasting another second my foot shot up, aiming between his legs. It hit and I smiled devilishly.

For a half a second, after which he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_Shadow clone? When did he...?_

Freed from my oppressor, I jumped away from the tree, looking for the real Itachi. Strong hands grabbed me from behind and threw me on the ground. A cry escaped my lips as I my hip and elbow felt the impact. My gaze shot up to find him next to me.

"Interesting attack method..." he commented.

"Yeah, too bad it didn't work." I replied. "Was it a shadow clone from the start?"

"No." he replied, offering me a hand. I grabbed on to it and he pulled me up easily, so fast it made me lose balance and fall against him. "It was when your foot shifted..." he explained. I looked up and seeing him so close made heat rise in my body, so I pulled back.

"I see." I muttered. It seemed _dojutsu_ wasn't the only ace up his sleeve. He was no stranger to _taijutsu_ and the speed at which he performed seals was amazing.

The sun was completely up and rays of light shot through the trees, invading the clearing.

"Show me your_ninjutsu_." he said suddenly and I looked at him surprised.

I felt kind of embarrassed to admit I only mastered my clan's _Shintenshin_ and _Shinranshin no jutsu_...especially to someone who undoubtedly knew hundreds of techniques.

"That mind control_jutsu_...Perform it." he ordered.

I was reluctant. It was normal really, since the last time I had performed _Shintenshin_ on him...it wasn't a pleasant experience.

"I will not fight your hold." he told me, noticing my hesitation.

I nodded. Lifting my hands to eye-level, my fingers formed the seal.

_Shintenshin no jutsu!_

Everything went dark and when I opened my eyes, I was staring at my own body, crumbled on the ground. I couldn't believe it! I was actually in _his_ body! I examined my hands, looking at the purple nail polish. I touched the fabric of the Akatsuki cloak and started to giggle. I wondered how Itachi would look giggling and that made me break out into a fit of laughter. I snapped back to reality fast enough though. I realized I couldn't hold him too much, because his level of_chakra_ was way beyond mine.

I wondered if I could activate the _sharingan_.

I closed my eyes, whispering the words in my mind: _sharingan_. When I opened them again, I felt dizzy. It seemed that had actually worked and the_sharingan_ was indeed activated, but...I felt like I was looking in four different directions at the same time. It gave me a headache. I perceived time in slow motion. A leaf was falling to the ground...falling...falling. In the tree above me, a squirrel was climbing on the higher branches. A bird flying up from the bushes. I couldn't manage to concentrate on only one thing...the pain in my temples grew in intensity. I closed my eyes, trying to cancel it. When I opened them again, I saw it hadn't worked. The world was different...agonizingly slow. I felt like throwing up.

_Kai!_

It sounded so weird in Itachi's voice...was the last thing I thought before I felt my own aching body again. My hip and elbow still hurt and now so did my knees, because I fell on them when my mind left my body. But the world looked normal again. The leaf had hit the ground and could concentrate on seeing only one thing, without my vision being assaulted by everything at the same time.

I got up and looked at Itachi, who seemed to be back to normal. He looked at me through_sharingan_ eyes, head slightly tilted to the side in a curious way.

I couldn't help but think he looked kind of...I didn't even dare think the word..._cute_.

"I see you managed to activate the _sharingan_." he spoke. "How did it feel?"

I let out a deep sigh, before answering honestly:

"Like crap."

He smiled, coming next to me. "I'm interested in your experience. Could you be more specific?"

"Well..." I complied, "It was like looking in four different directions at the same time..." I looked into his eyes, studying them, "Considering you have four pupils I guess it's normal..." I muttered, more to myself. "I couldn't concentrate on something specific, I felt like...vomiting."

He nodded. "It's normal, considering you've never experienced it. I can concentrate on only one thing, if I wish it...but I do see _all angles_ of it." There was something strange about the way he looked at me.

_His insight is frightening_, I thought, taking in the intensity of his gaze.

I suddenly felt very tired. It did take a lot of _chakra_ to get a complete hold over him, even if he didn't fight it...but seeing the world through his_sharingan_ had exhausted me even further.

I let myself fall at the bottom of the tree. I felt a sting of pain in my hip as I sat down.

_I don't care how weak he'll think I am...screw him._

I was expecting to hear him insult my abilities, but instead he sat down next to me. I looked at him, befuddled.

"You have... unusual eyes." he told me after a while.

"You're one to talk!" I shot back.

He ignored my reply and his gaze bore even deeper into my eyes.

"I suppose it's a side effect of being able to separate your mind from your body." he said thoughtfuly.

I looked at him as if he were insane. I'd never given my eyes much thought before.

"You do realize you have no pupils." he informed me seriously.

_Smart-ass..._

"Well you seem to have an abundance of those, so why not lend me a few?" I said in a sarcastic tone.

"I see you've recovered enough to be ironic. Let's continue." he spoke, getting up. "I hope you can perform more than one _ninjutsu_."

I got up reluctantly, shooting him a death glare.

"I'm too low on_chakra_ for the other one to succeede." I said, forming the seal anyway and placing my hand in the area of the heart.

He waited.

I sighed.

_Shinranshin no jutsu!_

Then I concentrated on making him raise his left hand. It was such a little task, but I was low on chakra and he wasn't exactly an ordinary opponent.

Itachi had a surprised expression on his face, upon witnessing his left hand moving without his accord.

_Now if only I could make it punch him!_

Who was I kidding...I had barely managed to make him lift it. I concentrated on making him come closer. My hands were trembling, barely managing to hold the seal.

His red eyes widened as he approached me. I made him stop right in front of me and looked up at him. I was still holding the seal as I spoke:

"This jutsu is a lot more effective when I have more _chakra_. Right now I can barely make you do simple tasks."

"Interesting." he commented.

My hands were trembling so bad, I couldn't hold the seal anymore. I released it and leaned against a tree for support. I was also terribly hungry all of a sudden.

_Of course! That's what I forgot!_

Not only have I forgotten breakfast, but I also left my food-pils at home. My stomach growled loudly as if it was scolding me for my stupidity.

I tried to ingore it, focusing on Itachi.

He looked at me, expentantly.

"You won't fight well if you're hungry." he said finally.

I felt sheepish in admiting it, so I looked elsewhere as I muttered:

"I kind of...forgot my food-pils."

"This simple fact could ruin a mission." he pointed out, ruthlessly.

I wished I could say something back, but unfortunately, he was right. This was a grave mistake for a _shinobi_.

I simply nodded in acceptance.

"Here." I heard him saying.

I looked at him with surprise. In his open palm, he held a food-pill. My eyes shifted from the food-pill to his face, widened with disbelief.

"Well do you want it or not?" he insisted.

I took the pill from his hand and swallowed it, waiting for it to take effect.

"Did you just feed me?" I asked him in an unsure tone.

"Your hunger would have rendered you useless." he answered instead.

His gesture disturbed me. It disturbed me, because it made me trust him even more. It made me believe he was _human_ even more. I realized that this was going further than mere lust and that was the last thing I wanted. I wasn't going to let this happen. This could all very well be some sick strategy of his.

I looked at him with newfound determination, taking out a _kunai_.

"Shall we continue?"

A spark of admiration lit up in his eyes, only to dissappear unnoticed a second later.

**A/N:** Okay, I realize I had trees randomly popping up in that clearing whenever one was needed to rely upon...I _really_ need to work on my landscape portrayal.

Comments would be highly appreciated, as usual.


	8. Chapter 8

**N/A:**

I give reference to "Dune" by the great Frank Herbert for some terms I –ahem- "borrowed". Props to you if you know what I'm talking about! XD

**Deception**

She had fallen on one knee, gasping. Her pale skin was splattered with blood..._her_ blood. The trees around us had _kunai_ and _shuriken_ thrust deep in their bark. She never hit me...not once. I went easy on her, to say the least, which is why she only had a few superficial cuts and bruises. Nonetheless, she was emptied of _chakra_ and it seemed that even her steel determination couldn't make her body move. Her eyes locked with mine as her chest rose and fell in rapid rhythm. She tried to get up, but failed miserably. Her hands and feet were trembling as she tried again.

_She doesn't know when to quit...this girl._

I couldn't help but think blood suited her...her skin was even whiter now, it was such a beautiful contrast. Her pupilless eyes refused to look away from me, despite of her weakness. I like that. She has the potential to become strong. But I won't tell her why...knowing would only prevent her from being strong. No. I have my own ways.

I walk over to her and lift her in my arms. She doesn't struggle, she wouldn't even have the strength to. Instead she looks at me, puzzled. She seems somewhat reluctant to trust...herself. She's still breathing hard and it's obvious she's struggling to support her head. She doesn't want to rely on me at all...

_What an amusing creature._

"Where are we...going?" she whispered, leveling her breathing.

"There's a hot spring not far from here." I tell her.

She looks up at me.

"I can...walk by myself." she says finally.

"I doubt it." Came my quick reply.

She didn't argue with me, instead she sighed deeply. The next moment, I felt her head leaning gently against my chest. I smirked.

oooooOOooooo

He was actually carrying me...I couldn't believe this was real. Who was this person everyone hated so much? And the extent of his strength...I wasn't able to land _one_ hit on him..._not one_! He could have hurt me so much more...instead the only injuries I had were caused by his defensive moves, like deflecting my kunai.

He was warm, I noted, resisting the temptation of falling asleep. I was so tired...

"We're almost there." he told me, as if he could read my thoughts. Or perhaps exhaustion was written clearly all over my face.

My thoughts strayed as he went silent once again. Really, he wasn't the talkative type. Well, no one's perfect. He couldn't have the looks, the strength_and_ the flawless character.

_Yeah, but his character flaws aren't exactly minor._

I realized I couldn't believe the fact that he had killed his clan. I just couldn't. He must have been framed or something...through the use of a _jutsu_...

_Can you hear yourself?_

I sighed, realizing my thoughts were stupid. _But how could he be so...gentle at the same time? _

I looked up to see his expressionless face as he carried me forward. His eyes left the road and looked down at me as I quickly turned my head. My face was warm, which meant I was probably as red as a tomato. I hated the effect he had on me...and loved it at the same time.

"We're here." he announced, as if I couldn't see the hot spring for myself.

"Someone could come here..." I told him, a bit worried. Being seen with him would _not_be a good idea.

"I'd kill them." he replied calmly.

My eyes widened at his carefree tone. At his level of strength, killing an opponent would be easy...but did he hold no value for human life? And if so...why was I still alive?

He released me from his arms and I tried to stand.

_Just a bit more...I'll rest after this._

Shaky feet touched the ground as I eyed the hot spring before us. The warm water would do wonders for my body.

_If only I had enough chakra to heal some of these cuts..._

My eyes turned to Itachi, who seemed bored. I realized it was silly to ask him to turn around...I wanted to play this cat and mouse with him, but in truth, now that it had come to this, I was reluctant. But I had to shed these feelings. I couldn't hesitate around him, or he'd think less of me.

Looking at him almost defiantly, I started to undress. My clothes fell to the ground in a messy pile as I held his gaze. My hair fell on my shoulders, freed. Oddly, he still looked directly into my eyes. It took all of my self-control to refrain from blushing, but as I turned around and headed for the water, I knew my face had gone red.

_Good thing my back's turned._

oooooOOooooo

She managed to surprise me again. I still can't understand how she can jump from one state of mind to another with such ease. I didn't expect her to reveal herself without inhibition like she did. Or _apparently _without inhibition, since there was a faint blush on her face I didn't fail to notice.

I looked at her back as she sank into the hot water. Her body was beautiful, bloody and bruised as it was.  
Suddenly an idea crossed my mind and the ghost of a smile formed on my lips. After all, I've always enjoyed hot baths...

_Just how far was she willing to go?_

oooooOOooooo

The hot water was a blessing! I rubbed my limbs to get the dirt and blood of them and then proceeded to sink my hair in. I already felt better.

I moved forward through the water, finding that it got deeper and now covered my breasts. I inhaled the steamy air and let out a sigh.

_What else could I possibly want right now?_

Just as I thought this, I felt a pair of hands touching my shoulders. My eyes widened and the breath remained caught in my throat. Strange how in that moment, the cynical part of me offered an answer:

_A massage, maybe?_

His hands were indeed moving across my shoulders, applying just the right amount of pressure where needed. After a few moments, I got over the initial shock and relaxed. I resisted the urge to moan as he made my taut muscles ease. I arched into his touch, partly realizing that despite of the state my body was in, the idea of being his right now was starting to appeal to me.

_So what if it happened?_

I turned around, to face him. His eyes struck me first, gleaming red despite of the heavy steam. The next thing I noticed was that he appeared to be naked. From the waist up, at least. He had me at an arms length and I suddenly felt a clear warning not to go closer.

_Don't start something you can't handle._ My mind was telling me.

He remained still and silent, probably waiting for my move. His body was well built, but slender, which didn't really surprise me. Every _shinobi_ I knew had a similar physique, because of the extensive training. _Well, except Choji..._

But there was something about him that was different from every other man. It wasn't his strange eyes...I couldn't really put it into words. His facial expression was part of it, but above all..._the look _in his eyes. Better put, _the way_ he looked at something. His gaze had something appealing and also frightening to it...and right now I felt like taking risks.

I took a step closer, despite the alarm bells going off in my head.

His lips stretched in a faint smile and he looked at me, expectantly. My fist clenched, inside the water. He wasn't going to make a move...which probably meant he wanted to see how far I was going to go. I hated feeling like a guinea pig...

So I smiled back. I went even closer, so close that I could feel his breath on my skin. I bit my lip sensually and my hands touched his skin, went trailing down his shoulders. This wasn't all acting...I also enjoyed it terribly. His skin was softer than I'd expected and I had half the mind to play right into his scheme, if that meant getting my way with him.

But my pride was stronger.

Pushing myself up on my toes, until I reached his level, I looked into his eyes. My lips were dangerously close to his when I whispered:

"You shouldn't stay in the water too long...your skin will get wrinkly."

With that, I walked past him and out of the water, half-grinning, half fearing that I may have gone too far with someone who's said to be a psychotic killer.

oooooOOooooo

This time my smile was real...it wasn't faint or forced. I can't remember the last time I smiled like that. She was really proving worthwhile...my little pet. Perhaps she could fit into a greater scheme, if she matures enough.

Sinking even deeper into the water, I think about the fact that I'm _feeling_...Not to say I have some deep sentiments involving her. No. Not even close. But she amuses me and makes me feel my life isn't as dull as it used to be. That's the same reason I joined Akatsuki, years ago. And more importantly, she's from Konoha. That means killing two birds with one stone...soon she'll find out what role she plays in all of this.

For now though, I allow myself to indulge...it is not something I engage in very often.

oooooOOooooo

With my clothes back on, I felt more secure. The dizziness caused by battling him and staying too much in the hot spring was beginning to fade and I was starting to wonder just _what the hell_ I was thinking back there. I had half a mind to start running away, until he was out of sight. But that was just a thought and here he was, getting out of the hot spring, before my very eyes. As his body emerged from the vapory waters, I couldn't help but close my eyes in a childish fashion. I realized what I was doing and quickly started to fiddle with my kunai, looking at it instead.

_What am I doing here?  
_I suddenly wanted to be back home, with Shikamaru, where nothing could surprise or frighten me...where _I _was in charge.

I heard the rustle of clothing and turned weary eyes to him only to find he was already dressed. He had tossed his Akatsuki cloak aside and wore the usual fishnet shirt.

I tried to seem calm and collected as he approached and crouched down besides me.

_Stupid me and my stupid games!_ What if he wanted something from me right now? I was having second thoughts about even being here!

I looked into his eyes and he seemed surprisingly calm, like nothing had happened between us in the hot spring.

"I believe I should share my opinion with you." he told me in an even tone and I started at the sound of his voice.

_Opinion?_

"Your skills..." he started.

_Oh...that's what he meant. _I sighed with relief.

"...are below average." he finished and my whole world crumbled.

I frowned, forgetting all about my fears and doubts as I glared at him.

He wasn't phased by this and instead continued:

"Your taijutsu skills are acceptable for a middle-class _chuunin kunoichi_. But you won't make _jounin_ with your current skills."

My anger faded as I looked at him. His expression was serious.

"You cannot use_genjutsu_." he continued ruthlessly. "Although I would have to say you _are _the _genjutsu_ type. I assume you've just never been taught how to."

To that I nodded weakly. Asuma-sensei wasn't a _genjutsu_ user. Actually he was the worst at _genjutsu_ out of all the _jounin_, except Gai-_sensei _of course.

"As for your_ninjutsu_...Your techniques are practically useless in real combat. You would slow your team members down, rather than help them." his tone was emotionless and his expression cold as he looked at me.

I looked down, trying to hide how much his words hurt me. If they weren't true, I would't have cared as much, but...I've always felt I was the weak link in the team...weaker than Choji or Shikamaru...And now even weaker than Sakura, since she had received training directly from the Godaime.

I felt his fingers on my chin, tilting it up. His eyes locked with mine.

"I have two questions for you." he said softly.

I looked at him expectantly.

"One." his hand left my chin and returned at his side, as he looked at me thoughtfully.

"Have you ever heard of impregnators?"

My eyes widened as I tried to remember the little I knew about this special order of_kunoichi._

"Impregnators..._kunoichi_ that specialize in seduction techniques..." I quoted.

"That's the incomplete definition, but it shows the general aspect." he told me.

"What about them?"

"Ever thought about becoming one?" he asked, never taking his eyes off me.

_What?! They...have to even...have sex with the men they're required to interrogate or eliminate_!

Indignation was probably written all over my face, because the ghost of a smile appeared on his usual stone-carved features.

"They are not to be taken lightly...although not many _kunoichi _possess the attributes that are required to become impregnators." his eyes left my own and traveled down my body.

I felt warm all of a sudden and turned my head away from him.

"That's _out of the question_!"

He seemed like he was expecting my answer, because it stirred no visible reaction.

"My second question." he raised his tone so I would look at him again. "Your clan's jutsu..._Shintenhin_. Does the wielder's body always suffer the same damage as the target's?"

I raised an eyebrow, inquisitively. To be certain, I never told him about that weak spot of my _jutsu_.

"It does." I answered, still eying him suspiciously.

He seemed lost in thought for a moment, after which he replied:

"I cannot copy your_jutsu_ with the _Sharingan_, because separating your mind from your body requires specific training..."

"Obviously." I cut him off, proudly,

"Still, I think you haven't mastered it completely."

His affirmation shocked me.

"You don't know what you're talking about! I'm currently as good as my father at the use of _Shintenshin_! And he's the only one in our clan, except me, that knows how to use it!"

"And why is that?" came his sharp question.

"Because..." I started. After I said the word, I realized I had no idea why that was.

Itachi continued, undisturbed.

"Have you seen the scroll for this _jutsu_?"

"No...my father showed me the hand signs and he trained me himself..." I replied, doubts starting to arise inside of my mind.

"Be sure that there is more to this _jutsu _than you think. It is being kept from you on purpose." he said, looking into my eyes.

"That can't be! My father wouldn't...!" I snapped.

"I know more about these things than you think!" he cut me off, his voice equally loud. "The Uchiha clan's dirty little secret...the Mangekyou Sharingan! Why did no one get to see those scrolls? Why did only a select few get to consult them? Does that not concern you? Does that not make you _wonder_?"

His eyes were burning and I found myself frozen. Frozen with fear and doubt and disbelief...I could not bring myself to give voice to the thoughts in my mind...

_You're right...it's strange. You're not right, he wouldn't lie to me! Why have I never wondered about the scrolls before..._

I shook my head in denial.

"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean every clan is the same!" I shot.

He looked at me as if I were a naïve child.

"Believe what you wish. I merely needed answers to my questions. What happens to you is not my concern." he said and his words cut like a blade.

It wasn't supposed to hurt...it was only normal that he wouldn't care what happens to me. So why did it? Why did it pierce through me so suddenly...why did I perceive it as being so cold, when it was his normal way of acting?  
I bit my lip, hiding my emotions. He didn't need to see all of this. Really, I was a wreck as a _shinobi_, letting my feelings spill all over my face.

"Listen to me..." I heard his low voice. My eyes turned to him and I saw _something_inside of them...it was like he wanted me to understand, he was trying to make me see his reasoning. "You're so chained by the ideas of moral and honor, that you can't even accept a simple truth..."

My chest was rising up and down, in rapid breaths. Anger overwhelmed me again.

"And you're so evil that you can't even begin to understand moral or honor!"

Faster than my eyes could see, his hands grabbed my wrists. I stared at him defiantly.

_Do it._ My mind screamed

But despite the pressure applied on my wrists, his expression was as calm as ever.

"Animals kill other animals...even of their own pack in order to feed or get the female they want...or survive. Would you say they're evil?" he asked me.

"Let me go! What _the fuck_..." I started, my temper getting the best of me.

His hands tightened around my wrists painfully and he got on top of me, preventing me from moving my legs.

"Control that pretty little mouth of yours...lest you want me to shut it for good. Now answer me!" his tone was louder than before. I could see the threat in his crimson eyes, fear seeping through me like poison.

"Of course not! Animals can't be evil. It's a human trait." I snapped, struggling out of his grip.

The hands holding my wrists were iron, tightening around my bones. My breath was coming in slow pants as he held me down.

"Why?" he asked, his eyes still piercing into mine with that weird intensity.

_You're hurting me..._I wanted to say, but my pride prevented it.

Instead I shot him a murderous look and replied with biting sarcasm:

"Isn't it obvious? The animals don't know what they're doing!"

His grip lessened, making me wonder if that was the answer he expected.

"You mean they lack moral judgment and thus, don't know what good and evil is."

"Exactly." I replied, proud of myself.

_What are you going to say to that? _

"Wouldn't we be better off without morality then?" he asked me immediately.

I tried to come up with a witty reply, but my mind just couldn't concoct an answer. Thankfully, he wasn't hurting me anymore, even if having him on top of me made me feel uncomfortable.

"Why do you always complicate things?" I finally asked him.

He smirked.

"Looking at you I'd say...ignorance is bliss."

"I won't even give you the pleasure of acknowledging your insults. My beliefs are my own." I told him, raising my head and turning my gaze away from him.

"You know...belief isn't to be feared. Knowledge is." he replied, without missing a beat.

_Does he have an answer to everything? _I though, feeling annoyed. It was nothing like the good ol' days with Shikamaru, when he always backed out of a serious argument, making me feel in charge. I didn't feel in charge now and I didn't like it.

"What's happened to you? Weren't you like us once?" I asked him, feeling a strange mood overcome me.

"No."

"..."

"I sought knowledge instead of believing what I was told." his eyes were no longer fixed on me, but somewhere far away. "Genius...they used to call me." he spat the word like it made him sick.

"Oh, no! How could they call you such...the vile creatures!" I mocked, but something in his attitude made me stop. He didn't seemed amused.

"You know...Sasuke was also called..."

"I'm aware." he interrupted me. "I was on a whole different level. At the same age my little brother graduated, I was ANBU squad leader."

_Holy SHIT! ANBU squad leader...at twelve!?_

"I was five when I first engaged the _Sharingan_ _dojutsu_." he continued.

I couldn't believe my ears. I knew everyone was saying how great Sasuke was for activating his _sharingan_ when he was twelve, but Itachi had done it seven years earlier?

"How..." I started and paused, unsure how to ask.

"Because I'm different than you. I was never like you." his voice was frozen and distant

I felt the ridiculous impulse to hug him. He was invincible, ruthless...dangerously intelligent. But underneath all that...he seemed _so sad_.  
I remembered what I thought of him before we met...the killer of his clan...monster. A deranged individual with insane strength...an instable person that should be punished for his crimes. But now...as I got to know him, his thoughts, his ideas...he couldn't be that person. He couldn't be that monster I feared. He wasn't. In my mind, I was starting to believe that he couldn't have committed such an atrocity.

Slowly, he released me and went back to his original position next to me. I felt my whole body shaking with anticipation. I had to know...I had to ask him. It was now or never.

"Itachi..." I started, my voice trembling.

His deadly eyes turned to me and I felt the breath stop in my throat.

_You look stupid, Ino! Get it over with!_

"You...about your clan...I can't believe you..." I managed to articulate, stumbling on the words as his brows knitted.

"You can't believe I did it?" he spoke calmly, saving me the trouble. But there was something about his expression that sent a shiver up my spine.

I nodded weakly.

He grinned.

"Why don't I show you then?" he said and his _Sharingan_ changed form instantly, before I could look away.

The world disappeared in a whirlpool of red and black. I felt my body unable to move as feared crept into my heart like a serpent.

_Tsukuyomi..._

Suddenly I saw a street and houses appearing all around me and an elderly woman with a broom materialized in my left. The Uchiha crest decorated all of these houses...The woman seemed cheerful as she swept the dirt from her doorstep and shortly after an elderly man followed outside. I couldn't help but smile at their affectionate attitude towards each other.

But the smile froze on my lips soon after. Blood spilled from the elder woman's headless neck, blood...red and thick and covering my body as the man hit the ground soon after.

I looked up, horrified, to see the figure of a man, wearing _ANBU_ uniform – sword in hand. Red eyes gleaming with the _Sharingan_.

"Itachi!" I screamed, covering my eyes. It didn't help. The images were still passing by my eyes, like a movie.

Women, children...old men...everyone felt the blade of his sword. Heads were dropping, bodies impaled with his sharp sword and blood..._blood everywhere_.

"I don't want to see this!" I cried.

_Get me out...please...please..._My mind was begging. _I can't..._

The vision continued, ruthlessly. I saw a house, bigger than the others. The windows were lit.

_Sasuke-kun's...house._

The terrible conclusion reached my numb mind. This was where he killed his own parents.

_Please stop!_ I screamed. I felt like crying, but the tears wouldn't come out. It hurt. I didn't care about my pride anymore...I wanted out. _STOP IT!_

It was like he couldn't hear me. And my eyes remained open to the massacre.

His mother and father at the table...both of their backs turned. A swing of his sword, moonlight reflected in its blade...blood, endless blood splattering across the walls, the floor...their bodies, crumbled, lifeless, on the ground.

I screamed from the top of my lungs, but no sound came out of my mouth. A younger Itachi, wearing _ANBU_ uniform looked at the dead bodies of his parents. My body was trembling. I felt as if I would faint at any moment, but he wouldn't allow me to. His younger self didn't see me. It was all just a memory he was rewinding for me to witness.

I heard footsteps and my head lifted at the same time with Itachi's.

His expression, for the first time, showed worry.

"Don't come in..." he whispered. It was hardly loud enough for the intruder to hear.

The doors snapped open and I saw a small Sasuke-_kun_ rushing in. His eyes widened with horror. I felt weak, suddenly. Unable to support my body.

"Brother! Why?" I heard Sasuke's voice, but I couldn't even breathe anymore. At that moment I wanted to die, rather than to see this.

I heard Itachi's voice, as calm and collected as ever. I couldn't make out what he was saying though. I didn't want to. I felt that if I would try harder, I would manage to die in here and not have to witness the rest.

Sasuke's scream jolted me back and I watched with a horrified expression as he fell to his knees.

_He's seeing it all now...just like you. _A voice overcame all the other sounds.

Sasuke's eyes...widened with horror...his expression as he collapsed lifeless on the ground, snot coming out of his nose and spit trailing down his lips...He was surrounded by bodies.

I screamed again, louder and louder, feeling real tears on my face as the world started to spin.

I knew right away I was out of _Tsukuyomi_ and wasted no time.

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" I yelled, not being able to control myself anymore. Tears were running freely down my cheeks, from fear, from anger, from the pain of seeing it all happen. "How could you?! How...to your BROTHER!" I felt compassion for Sasuke like no other time in my life. Even though I knew what he had gone through, I never would have understood his pain...until now.

He watched me with calm and his expression made my blood boil. How could this...this monster stand there like that...how could he still be alive after what he had done?!

I threw myself at him, without a second thought. My accuracy was nothing against his_Sharingan_ and his body blurred as he caught me in his arms so tight I could barely breathe. Even so, I clawed at him, tried to bite him, anything so I could hurt him. He had no idea how much he'd hurt me by showing me that. I couldn't care less if I died as long as I could take him with me.

"Settle down." he said quietly, but his grip was iron. "I don't intend to hurt you."

"Hurt me?!" I spat between clenched teeth. "You already did! You're a sick, disgusting...inhuman...being!" I bellowed, renouncing my usual string of curse words in favor of something I considered suited him better. "I...hate you."

"Why does this affect you so?" he asked and his grip lessened enough to stop hurting me, but still be able to block my movements.

"Because you ruined his life...you're ruining mine...and you don't even care!" I snapped, my eyes locking with his. I didn't care what he'd do to me right now. My eyes were red and tears still fell down from them, but I could still see his deadly crimson gaze clearly. And I faced it, defiantly.

"You understand nothing." he finally spoke, pushing me away.

I could barely stand, that's how bad my body was shaking, but I tried my best not to waver. For some reason, he wouldn't use his terrifying _dojutsu_ on me again.

"Just kill me." I told him, my voice trembling with anger. "I can't defeat you and I can't live with the shame of what I've done."

"You..." he laughed. That made my anger grow even more. What the hell did he find funny about this?

"_You_ did nothing. Everything was my doing." he explained, apparently still amused.

I wanted to spit on him, show him how much I despised him...I wanted to kill him or kill myself...both option seemed equally appealing to me right now. But I couldn't.

I felt my knees sink as my body crumbled to the ground. But I didn't feel the pain...I was dizzy and sleepy...

_Is this...death?_

oooooOOooooo

I saw her falling to the ground before my eyes. I had used my _Sharingan_ to put her to sleep, because she couldn't listen to reasoning right now. I even wondered if I was too hasty, showing that to her at this stage...but it had to be done. She had to know I had done it, or it would all be in vane.

Her reaction surprised me though...such feeling, such compassion for the person that deserted her. Where did all this come from? I had an idea...her strong personality made her feel the need to protect the ones she though weaker than her. That obviously wasn't the case with my little brother, but perhaps seeing him at such a tender age and being present in the illusion made her want to stand up for him. Maybe she felt guilt as well...for not fully understanding what he went through. That is foolish. No one can fully understand unless they experience it...but she is still oblivious as to why it was necessary. There is no need to inform her of my personal goals...

As she crumbled to the ground, I perceived her last thoughts. Even without the use of the_Sharingan_, they were written all over her face...

_Death..._

_No, my little pet...I won't kill you. And you won't die until I say so._

**A/N:**

A little angsty at the end...I got the idea, while I was revisiting the scene where Itachi kills his family and then uses _Mangekyou _on Sasuke...at first I was like: Meh...but as I started to really _think_ about it...DAMN! You should try it...or not.

The next chappie will have some interaction of the erotic kind so be prepared! XD Have a nice weekend and don't forget to review!


	9. Chapter 9

**N/A:**I kept my word and updated before Christmas. The chapter's kind of short, because I've been in over my head with exams and preparing for the holidays, but I made it! Yay!

This chapter also has a theme...it's part of the lyrics of "**Art of breaking**" by Thousand Foot Krutch.

"_I'll pick you up, won't let you fall  
I'll build your trust and it won't hurt at all,_

_When I feel numb I'll let you know,  
I won't become what I was before,_

_You cannot kill what's not your creation,  
This is the Art of Breaking._"

**Desire**

I woke up, rubbing my eyes. It was dark outside.

What happened?

I got up quickly and something slid down my body and fell on the ground. At a closer look, I realized it was Itachi's cloak.

"Sleep well?" I heard his voice and my eyes shot up to find him in front of me. I knitted my brows.

"What did you do to me?"

"You were incapable of reasoning, so I put you to sleep. Be thankful I didn't kill you." he replied coldly.

"I guess I should be thankful I'm not related to you."I shot back.

His eyes darkened.

"Don't speak of things you do not understand." his voice was threatening.

I knew better than to push things further, so I simply turned around, preparing to walk away. In a second, he was in front of me.

"The person who killed them all was me. The person who spared your life was me. I'll let you walk away now, unharmed, if you look into my eyes and tell me that's what you want." he was serious.

My eyes pierced into his. There was something strange about him, an aura of mystery. Why would he spare my life...after all he had done?

"I don't want to go." I admitted openly. "But I need you to answer one question for me."

He raised an eyebrow.

"It would be easy for you to get rid of me. Why don't you?"

His crimson eyes gleamed.

"That's simple. _I don't want to_."

"But why?" I insisted.

"Sorry, my pet...you only said one question." he replied, amused.

"I'm not your pet!" I snapped, turning my back on him so he wouldn't see I was fuming.

"Easy there, kitten...don't catch on fire." I heard his teasing voice.

_Urgh!_

I sat down, crossing my arms. I realized I was pouting, but couldn't care less right now. He sat down next to me.

"Besides, I'm _fond_of you." he said, but there was a touch of sarcasm in his tone.

"Don't be. You always end up killing the ones you're fond of." I wanted to take that back the moment I ended the phrase. I remember the killing intent in his eyes, when I crossed the line earlier. I looked at him, cautiously. He didn't seem angry...he wasn't even looking at me.

"Who said I was fond of them." he replied.

oooooOOoooo

I was only fond of one person that I killed...Doing such a thing willingly is a pain that surpasses any I have ever felt. From that moment on, I have been numb to everything else. But she doesn't need to know that. She is unaware of the condition required to activate this _Mangekyou Sharingan_...and I have no reason to enlighten her. _Yet_

ooooOOoooo

I kept silent. I just assumed he cared, since they were his family, but in truth no one would kill someone they cared about, right? The fact that he didn't kill Sasuke was proof...

_There is some good inside of him. There has to be._

"Do you trust me?" he asked suddenly, his red eyes locking with mine. There was something about his expression that sent a chill up my spine.

Did I trust him? It seemed like such a hard question to answer...

"I'm aware of who you are and what you've done." I answer him instead.

His gaze never wavers.

"But do you trust me?"

It seems I was trying to avoid the answer. A part of me hated him...but I had come here alone to meet him...and I was still here. I had even kept our encounters secret.

"I have no idea why. But I trust you." I admitted, despite of myself.

The next thing I knew, his face was inches away from mine.

"You shouldn't." he whispered and I felt heat surge throughout my whole body. His eyes were still piercing into mine...Oddly, at that moment, despite of the fact that my heart was racing, I started to feel a little dizzy. My vision blurred and my senses weakened. But I could still feel his lips on my own. And it was driving me crazy.

He was so gentle, the touch of his lips against mine so slow and tender...like never before. I felt weak.

His hands were caressing my naked shoulders and I vaguely realized I had started to tremble.

_I should push him away_...the shadow of a thought occurred to me. But my mind was clouded and my senses dulled. My own movements seemed to be in slow motion.

His lips descended on my neck, to my collarbone and I closed my eyes...it wasn't like I could see all that well with them open anyway. I realized I was panting...it felt so good...Strangely all the objections inside of my mind had been silenced. And he was so agonizingly slow...my whole body was aflame. I wanted him to tear my clothes off and make me his right now...

I opened my eyes, trying to say something...but I had a hard time forming the words. He looked at me, smirking...teasing me. His crimson eyes were gleaming and I felt all the more dizzy looking into them...like they made my whole world spin.

Then it occurred to me. The unusual blurring of my vision...that sensation of dizziness. It seemed almost like I was drunk. My brows knitted.

I struggled to maintain the little focus I had achieved.

"Itachi." I knew my voice was cold. He looked at me, his expression as unreadable as ever. But his eyes...something was amiss.

"Is this real?" I asked, the drop of anger I had felt earlier was already causing ripples. I could feel myself snapping out of the dull state.

He grinned and there was a spark of admiration in his eyes I didn't fail to notice. Still, my gaze didn't soften. His hand reached my chin, tilting it up and his face drew closer to mine.

"Does it matter?" he spoke and his voice was soothing. I felt the same need for him that I had earlier. I tried to control myself. Breathing heavily, I tried to push him away.

"I'm not your toy!" I shouted and it felt like I was breaking out of invisible chains.

My vision returned to normal. My senses were sharp again and the sensation of dizziness was gone. My eyes widened as I realized he wasn't really close to me. He was leaning against a tree, this time a faint smile graced his features.

One of his illusions, huh? My temper was getting the best of me again...I was boiling inside. But by the look on his face I could tell that this was exactly what he wanted.

I breathed in deeply, calming myself. My lips curled up into a grin, as I looked him in the eyes.

"Are you that poorly equipped in reality that you have to use illusions to please a woman?" I asked him with biting sarcasm.

And I saw, before he had a chance to hide it, that my affirmation had surprised him. I smiled victoriously. But then, he did something I definitely did not expect. He burst into laughs.

ooooOOoooo

I feel the urge to lock her in a cage and keep her to amuse me forever. Granted, I haven't had this much fun in a very long time. She had detected the illusion, which wasn't that hard, really. Had I wished it, she would have never been able to tell it wasn't the real thing. I only did it to see her reaction. I had different scenarios planned out, depending on it.

_First:_ she could have failed to realize it wasn't real, in which case I would have given up on her completely. Perhaps even killed her...I have no need for unskilled brats.

_Second:_ she could have realized it was an illusion, but still want to go on with it...in which case I would deny her that benefit. Well...she did call me evil

_Third:_ she could have realized it was an illusion and break into a fit of anger. I was more than sure she'd choose this path.

Both the second and the third option were entertaining, not to mention means to subjugate her...However...she was ahead of me this time. I wasn't expecting this reaction...but since she had insulted my..._equipment_, I felt compelled to show her just how wrong she was...

_Would this make me play into your own game...kitten?  
_

ooooOOoooo

He was approaching me with slow steps, like a predator cornering his prey. I wondered idly if he wanted to kill me now. So what if he seemed amused earlier? He was psychotic, for all I knew. But I wasn't about to back away now that I had started this. I remember when he told me not to start things I couldn't handle. My pride compelled me to prove that I could handle _him_.

Before I could realize what was happening, he was behind me, his arms circling around my waist. He turned me around and in a split second, my hands were resting against the bark of a tree as his body pressed against mine. I felt his breath on my neck as his tongue touched my ear lobe.

I gasped.

"You were saying...?" his voice was a sensual whisper in my ear.

I bit my lip, half in pleasure, half-angry at myself for liking it.

"Just give into me, kitten...you know you won't regret it."

_Kitten? Just when did he start thinking he could..._

My mind went blank as his hands trailed up my body and onto my breasts. His fingers touched my nipples through the fabric and I let my head fall back, surrendering. He bit my neck and I moaned as he pressed harder into me.

_I take the poorly equipped part back._

His hands left my breasts and grabbed my shoulders, turning me to face him. His lips crushed against mine, without any warning, his tongue invading my mouth.

My own hands trailed down his body, stopping at his waist. He broke the kiss and smirked.

"Embarrassed, little girl?"

_Little!_

Glaring at him, I went lower.

"Never known a man's touch?" his voice was teasing.

_Got a surprise for you there, buddy._

"Why don't you find out?" I asked, returning his smirk.

His hands lifted me into the air, pressing me against the bark of the tree. I looked into his unusual eyes...seeing the desire inside of them.

"Is that a challenge?" he whispered sensually.

As an answer, I leaned forward and tasted his lips. I wanted him so bad now, I didn't care about what he had done...but he released me and backed away.

I looked at him, puzzled. He smirked.

"It's past midnight...the three days are over."

"What?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"You heard me...Unfortunately, I can't be as generous with my time as you are." he replied, turning to leave.

I just stood there frozen. My brain was refusing to acknowledge what he had just said _so suddenly._

"Until we meet again." he spoke, disappearing from my sight.

_What just happened?  
_

ooooOOoooo

I had arrived at our meeting place earlier than Kisame. It didn't bother me...it gave me room for reflection. It had been harder for me to stop myself that I had originally anticipated. There was a mix of innocence and passion inside of this girl that attracted me terribly, but the time was not right. Her unsatisfied desire would only grow and it served my purpose.

I feel something cold, melting upon contact with my skin. My eyes raise to the sky.

_Snow..._

I hold out my palm and crush the delicate flakes.

Now that I built her trust, it was time to break her.

**A/N:** Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year!


	10. Chapter 10

**N/A:** I'm so sorry for taking this long to update…College is crazy and I have my degree this year…it's really frustrating. I'd rather write like 1000 pages of fanfiction than those stupid 40 pages on finance and economics…My personal life has also been (as cliché as it might sound) like a rollercoaster, so I haven't gotten around to writing anything. I know this chapter doesn't quite make up for the delay, but it's the silence before the storm, so to speak.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Split**

I make my way back to the village, walking slowly. I'm in no hurry to get back, not after what I've been through. His touch lingers on my skin, burning and I feel the need to have him with me. I hate it. I hate the way his intentions remain hidden to me and I hate the way he crept into my very soul. But at the same time, I didn't want to go back to Konoha, because I had no idea when or if I was going to see him again.

I try not to think about the "if" part.

ooooOOoooo

Shikamaru circled through the room, agitated.

"I don't think I've ever seen you like this..." Choji said, looking at his teammate with a worried expression.

"Well she's been missing for three days! Troublesome woman..." he replied, letting himself fall on the couch. He knew Choji was worried too, but wouldn't show it for his sake.

"I'm sure she's fine...you know how unpredictable she is."

"It's not like _I care_, but her old man told me to look after her while he's gone. How _bothersome_..." Shikamaru muttered, looking away from Choji.

Choji sighed, rolling his eyes.

ooooOOoooo

As I get closer to Konoha's gate, I try to think up a good excuse, but nothing comes to mind. It's not like anyone that really knows me won't see through my lie. I had always been a very bad liar...Shikamaru always told me I'm too straight forward for my own good.

_Screw it...it was worth every moment._

The guards let me in without question, just like they had let me out. I was one of Konoha's _kunoichi _and they only questioned strangers. They did write a list of everyone who entered and exited the village and turned it in to the Hokage on a daily basis. My absence wouldn't go unnoticed, but I hoped she wouldn't care about my whereabouts much. It's not like I was _Sakura_.

As I advanced through the village, uncertainty started to creep into my soul. I had to lie to everyone…all my friends, my family…for who? My fists clench until my nails dig into my own skin. I realize that he's turning into more than just a simple flirt. I never wanted it to go further than an affair…maybe. It was ridiculous to think he could start to feel something for me…

I shake the thoughts out of my mind as I see my house. The light's on…strange. No one should be home. I press the knob and the door opens, revealing the two intruders. Shikamaru's expression of relief was soon replaced with anger and Choji simply stared at both of us.

"Where _the hell_ have you been?" Shikamaru's voice was louder than usual.

My eyes narrowed. Yes, it was kind of nice that he'd been worried, but that didn't give him the right to question me _in that tone_.

"Out." I answer him instead of the lie I had carefully prepared on the road here.

"For three whole days?" He shot back, ignoring my tone.

"It's none of your business! I go where I want to go…it's not like I have to hand _you_ a report." I snapped.

Shikamaru opened his mouth to say something, but thought against it.

"Ino, you don't have to be like that. He's just grumpy because he didn't get much sleep these _three days_." Choji stepped in, earning himself a glare from his teammate.

My anger melted like butter in the sun upon hearing Choji's words. I regretted talking to him like that, but as usual my temper was stronger than reason. My eyes turned to Shikamaru, but he was looking elsewhere.

"I just had to make that troublesome promise to your dad that I'd look after you..."

_Oh, so that's what it's about! _

"Well I'm unharmed as you can see and dad's coming back tomorrow so you can consider yourself relieved of your _duties_." I said, glaring at him.

_Good thing I healed the cuts and bruises my clothes weren't hiding…_

"Ino, he…" Choji started.

"Just drop it, Choji. Let's go home." Shikamaru cut him off, turning to leave.

I wanted to stop him…say something that would make him turn around, but all I could do was keep silent as he walked past me.

"Bye, Ino." Choji said as he followed Shikamaru.

The door closed behind them with a heavy sound. I suddenly felt very tired, so I crashed on the sofa. Cruel thoughts, one more depressing than the other wandered through my mind.

Itachi didn't mention another time and meeting place…the circumstances in which I was going to see him again were uncertain. Months could pass…

_Urgh!_

I climb the stairs leading to my room, trying to think of something else. My bed…I would finally sleep in my own bed for a change! I was a very picky person when it came to spending the night…actually I only liked to sleep in _my own_ bed, period. That was one of the downsides to being a ninja.

I give my bed a warm look before I head towards the bathroom. I turn on the water, hot…as hot as I can handle it and get rid of my dirty clothes.

_Ah…paradise._

ooooOOoooo

I look into a pair of eyes deadlier than my own. I do so without flinching. He never scared me.

"Itachi…are you sure of this?"

His voice is deep, so deep it sounds almost unreal.

"Yes." I answer him in an even tone.

"Then go and do as you wish. My only request is that you keep _Akatsuki_'s involvement to a minimum."

"I will go alone." I tell him.

"No." he cuts me off in a determined voice. "Konoha has many skilled _shinobi_…too many even for you."

My face remains as expressionless as ever and I refuse to dignify him with an answer. I've evaded their skilled _shinobi_ before and he knows it.

"You will go with Kisame." he orders.

I nod shortly and he dismisses me with a wave of the hand. If I thought about it, I didn't hate the idea…with some minor changes, my plan would succeed.

ooooOOoooo

"Hey, Shikamaru, slow down!" Choji complained, rushing after his teammate.

Shikamaru stopped abruptly and turned to face Choji, an expression of exasperation written all over his face.

"I swear, that woman is _impossible_!"

Choji was just about to say something, but Shikamaru continued ruthlessly.

"I mean we wait and worry for her and she can't even tell us where the fuck she was!"

_Shikamaru cursing…that's never good_, Choji thought.

"Technically, you didn't tell her that you were worried…you just said her dad made you…" he started.

"That's besides the point!" Shikamaru cut him off. "She knew damn well we were worried."

Choji remained silent for a moment, then looked his best friend in the eyes.

"Why don't you just admit that you're afraid she might be seeing someone and you're jealous…"

"Me?! Jealous? Please!" Shikamaru shot, looking elsewhere.

Choji rolled his eyes.

"Why don't you two just admit there was more to that night than you thought and get together again?"

"That night was a mistake." Shikamaru replied, his voice getting lower.

Choji shook his head.

"You never got to talk about it, because she freaked out and told you she didn't feel anything for you…She realized you weren't a virgin and knew right away who your first was…it's not like Temari made a secret out of it."

"It ain't my fault the damn woman's loud. She forced me into it anyway…" Shikamaru defended himself.

"You two are idiots, you know that?" Choji replied, exasperated.

"Lay off, Choji. It's never gonna work. I'm tired of having to see her every time we train…tired of knowing she's out of my reach."

Choji's eyes widened at the unexpected confession.

"I'm going to train separately from now on." Shikamaru's tone was serious. "You should head home, it's getting late."

Choji watched Shikamaru's back getting further and further away with a feeling of nausea crawling inside of his stomach. The most important thing in the world to him were his friends…and now his best friends were tearing themselves apart.

_Maybe Asuma-sensei can see a way out of this…_

**A/N:** It's kind of short, I know. But I have the plot all figured out, so expect some major changes in the actual situation…

Reviews are loved!


	11. Chapter 11

**N/A****:** Another short one…don't hate me guys, I'm struggling with finals and my degree right now so it makes it kind of hard to concentrate. Plus, this one and the previous chapter were preparation chapters, so to speak. The real action is about to start in the next chapter, trust me. I'll work hard on it to make it worth the wait!

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, I wouldn't worry about finals, now would I?

**Fissure**

I wake up in the morning more fresh than I'd felt in ages. Sadly, the impression was fleeting. Guilt washed over me soon enough and I felt bad about fighting with Shikamaru. It was like I was driving away all of my friends…first Sakura and now Shikamaru and Choji.

I dismissed the thoughts, knowing I couldn't handle all of them right now. I was going to think about a way out of this tomorrow. For now, I was happy just lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. My plush unicorn looked at me, like he knew what I was thinking about.  
Damnit! Even he reminded me of Shikamaru…he was the only one that knew I still slept with a plush toy…and he gave him to me on my tenth birthday.

"It's not your fault." I tell the plush unicorn.

_Great…I'm talking to a toy._

_Beats talking to yourself._

I jump out of bed, feeling the first stings of anger and something I didn't quite want to identify.

Fear.

I was alone. Not just in this big, empty house, but in general…Itachi couldn't be trusted and I was fully aware of that. He'd never give me the certainty that I wanted. I try to focus on something else.

Dad's coming back today.

That made me feel a little better as I rushed down stairs for a hearty breakfast. After three days of food pills, I craved for a normal meal.

The sound of eggs and bacon frying filled the kitchen and I thought about the irony of it all. I usually detested anything fried, especially in oil…but today the smell that filled my nostrils was anything but gross.

A knock on my door turned my attention away from the frying pan and I rushed to open it. I couldn't wait to see my dad.

But amazingly, the person sitting in front of me was the last person I ever thought I'd see on my doorstep.

Sakura looked at me, jade eyes with a reddish tint and bags under them. She looked like a train wreck.

"May I come in?" she asked, her voice a little higher than a whisper.

I nodded, still surprised at her sudden visit and closed the door behind her.

The bacon was burning, but I stared at her, waiting for some sort of explanation.

She managed a smile.

"You never could cook anything…"

"Damn!" I rushed to the stow, trying to save what was left of my breakfast. After failing miserably, I turned to her. Before I could say anything, she spoke:

"Sasuke left me."

My eyes widen at the unexpected shock. I didn't know what to say to her, or what to feel for that matter. Normally I should have been happy about it…hell, I've always wanted this to happen so I could yell it in her face that she deserved it. But now, looking at her I realized the news didn't make me happy at all. It actually made me feel bad for her.

"He'll come around." I hear myself saying.

Sakura looked at me with surprise. It was obvious she wasn't expecting this.

"Why'd he leave you?" I inquired.

"He said something about…us not being right for each other." she replied, lowering her eyes.

_NOW he realizes it? What an idiot._

"Screw him. We're going out and you're buying me breakfast." I told her, proceeding to the stairs.

Sakura looked at me, befuddled.

"Well it's your fault I burned it! And I hope you came here loaded, 'cause I'm starved." I told her.

She smiled for real this time and I saw the Sakura I once knew awaken inside of her.

"Just my luck…the one day I have to buy you breakfast has to be the one day you don't diet."

ooooOOoooo

Grey eyes stared into the distance, oblivious of the scenery.

"Hey, _SASUKE_!"

Deciding he couldn't ignore that annoying voice anymore, he turned to one possessing it with a look of pure annoyance on his face.

"I agreed to have breakfast with you, even eat ramen with you, but please, _for the love of God_, let me eat in peace!"

"But you're not eating." Naruto noticed, receiving his second bowl.

"That's besides the point. And stop talking with your mouth full. It's disgusting."

"I can't understand how Sakura-_chan_ can go out with an idiot like you." Naruto replied, ignoring Sasuke's last sentence.

"Not anymore." Sasuke replied in a barely audible tone. Naruto's senses however, were as keen as ever.

"What?" he even stopped slurping his ramen and turned inquisitive blue eyes towards Sasuke.

"I broke up with her." he explained, looking elsewhere.

"You did what?!"

Sasuke sighed, an annoyed expression on his face.

"You bastard!"

This time he looked at Naruto, appearing bored.

"If you're gonna start lecturing me about what a great, beautiful, smart, wonderful girl she is, I'm out of here."

"Wait a minute…" Naruto's expression looked as if he'd just been enlightened.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"That means she's free now! Finally, _my_ Sakura-_chan_…" Naruto seemed to be lost in a world of his own imagination right now.

Sasuke shook his head, getting up. Naruto snapped out of it.

"Wait! You don't mind, do you? If I try to…"

"Go ahead." Sasuke cut him off.

"You don't care?"

"Not really."

"How come?" Naruto seemed truly curious.

"Let's just say…someone else caught my interest." Sasuke told him, turning around.

"Hey, wait Sasuke-_teme_! Who? WHO?" Naruto yelled after him.

Sasuke merely waved goodbye, smiling inwardly.

ooooOOoooo

I was leading the way to the most expensive restaurant I could think of. Naturally Sakura wouldn't agree, but I was doing it just for the laughs.

Suddenly I saw the tall figure of my sensei crossing my path, apparently out of nowhere.

"Asuma-sensei!" I cried happily. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages! How's Kurenai-sensei doing?" I winked at him.

Normally he would've blush almost unnoticeably and told me to mind my own business, but right now he just looked at me with something akin to pity in his eyes.

"What?" I ask, irritated.

"Ino…it's…your mother." he tells me, his voice a mere whisper. "She's been killed."

My whole world crumbles, hit by his words. It couldn't be…

"My mom's not a shinobi! Why would anyone…" I start.

Asuma looks at me, grief written all over his face.

"Some information was leaked…and a group of rogue ninja with a grudge against your father found out that she…" he paused, looking at me with worry.

"Where is he?" I ask, my voice trembling.

"He's gone after them along with Shikato and Choza."

Tears flow down my face uncontrollably, but my expression doesn't change.

"She never hurt anyone…she detested violence." I tell him, trying to control my sobs.

"Ino…" I hear his voice and I feel his arms wrapping around me as I abandon myself to the grief. I cry and cry and cry, leaving wet traces on his Jounin jacket.

Behind me, Sakura is frozen to the spot, her eyes empty. She was like a second mother to her.

I feel Asuma's large hand stroking my hair.

"It's going to be ok. Inoichi will take care of them…"

"That…won't…" I start, the sobs interrupting my sentence. "…bring her back."

Asuma doesn't answer and somewhere, on an unconscious level I notice he wasn't smoking. I look up at him and see the tears in his eyes. And not because of what happened to my mother, he didn't know her that well, but because it hurt me. And I realize no other sensei felt what he felt for us. The three of us were like his own children and I felt that bond, right then. The bond between the four of us, that could never be broken, no matter how much me and Shikamaru bickered.

"Asuma-_sensei_…" I whisper and close my eyes.

"It's okay, Ino. Everything's going to be ok." he tells me in a soothing tone.

ooooOOoooo

It's unusual for him to call for me in a such a short period of time. The jutsu required to make contact with him is rather complicated and chakra consuming, which is the main reason why our meetings are limited.

As usual, I only see a shadow of him. A shadow with deadly eyes.

"I have taken some matters into my own hands." He tells me and I flinch inwardly. He expects me to ask him what happened, but I remain silent, waiting for him to continue, which he does after a while.

"While thinking about her potential and the ways to awaken it, I realized it was essential that most of her bonds were cut."

I hated the way this discussion was going and I hated myself for telling him about her. But it was inevitable.

My eyes narrowed, but I controlled myself and let him continue.

"Some of our spies happened to cross paths with her mother, so I ordered her elimination." he spoke in a calm tone.

Anger ran throughout me like a bolt of electricity. I felt the familiar sensation of _Mangekyou_ awakening in my _Sharingan_ and I closed my eyes, canceling it. It was odd even to myself that something out of my control could trigger this. I felt anger at the fact that he had taken matters into his own hands, even if this would probably help my plan. I never considered killing her parents, although "cutting her bonds" as he put it was a necessity. I had my own ways.

He interpreted my silence wrong.

"Of course, Akatsuki's involvement in this is unknown. They think rogue ninja did it."

"I would like to handle this my own way, _without any interference_." I tell him in an even tone.

He doesn't even flinch upon hearing my words. Of course, he knew that even though he's our formal leader, he isn't entitled to meddle in _my_ affairs.

"Very well." he answers me. "As long as the outcome is the desired one, I don't care about the methods."

I smile to myself. _The desired outcome...but our desires may differ, dear leader._

I nod, forming the seals that would allow my spectral image to return to the body.

I open my eyes to see Kisame staring at me, the unspoken question hanging in the air. He was completely in the dark concerning what we were about to do, but that didn't matter much. We operated on a need to know basis.

"We are to go to Konoha." I tell him.

"The Kyuubi?" he asks with a grin.

"No. But we'll let them assume that. Our goal is to..." I paused, searching for the right words, "…start the recruitment process for a new member."

I had no intention of telling him who, though. He understood and refrained from asking.

"I'll handle things." I told him.

"And I'll watch your back, as always, Itachi-_san_." There was no irony or ill will in his voice. It was just the acceptance of a fact and I knew why he was so easy-going about it. For some reason, he admired and respected me greatly, even if I was many years younger than him.

"Let's go."

He followed me, a silent shadow walking a blood-stained path.

**A/N:** Any opinions, suggestions, questions, flames whatever :) are welcome! So R&R!


	12. Chapter 12

**N/A**: Finally, some action!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto.

_**Crimson**_

_Konoha__'s security hasn't improved_, I tell myself, while arriving at the gates. We didn't even bother to disguise ourselves, even though we were sure they had warned the guards about our apparel. It didn't matter, because none of the two sentinels managed to sound the alarm.

They both fell to the ground like rocks, hit by my _Sharingan_.

"Why do you always leave them alive, Itachi-_san_?" I heard Kisame's voice. He had a nasty grin on his face, the sort I detested.

"I see no use in killing them." I reply, somewhat irritated. Why couldn't he understand everything needed to be done for a purpose? Wasting human lives for no reason was something that might've been a pleasure for half of the lunatics in Akatsuki, but I hated it.

Kisame merely shrugged as we walked through the gates of Konoha.

_They know they're facing a threat and still they take no action_. That just went to show no woman, not even a _legendary Sannin_, could properly fulfill the role of Hokage.

We walked casually past the bars, hotels and restaurants, heading towards the center of the village. No one spared us a second glance. Of course, civilians weren't warned about Akatsuki to avoid panic.

"It sure is quiet." Kisame spoke, his eyes searching for hidden dangers.

"Too quiet." I whisper, more to myself.

The straw hat covered my eyes, but my _Sharingan_ scanned the area relentlessly. This wasn't going to be easy.

ooooOOoooo

"Asuma-_sempai_!" A voice filled with despair made the Jounin raise his eyes.

Ino turned around to see a _shinobi _breathing hard, like he'd been running to get here, fear written all over his face.

"You have to come quickly, we need every available Jounin! Konoha has been breached by…"

"_Enough!_" Asuma raised his voice, cutting him off. His eyes turned to Ino and Sakura.

"Sakura, I have a favour to ask." he started in a softer tone. Sakura's eyes widened questioningly. "Take Ino home and stay with her for a while. I'm sure that house is pretty empty with Inoichi away…and Shikamaru acting like a girl on her period."

Ino managed a smile. So Asuma knew about their fight.

Sakura nodded and grabbed her friend's hand, pulling her away.

Asuma's gaze hardened as he looked back at his fellow ninja.

"I'm sorry, Asuma-_sempai_, I didn't even notice them! I was in such a hurry to deliver the message, that I…" he mumbled.

"_Think_ before you speak next time!" Asuma's voice thundered. He shivered at the thought of Ino going to seek revenge on her own.

"Forgive me…"  
"Let's go!"

ooooOOoooo

"Hey, stop pulling!" I shouted, annoyed. "My hand isn't made out of rubber, forehead-girl!"

Amazingly, Sakura didn't reply with a spicy comment, but instead kept pulling, like she took Asuma-_sensei_'s words as an order.

"Billoard brow…"

No reaction.

"SAKURA!" I shouted, pulling my hand away from her grip.

"What?" she stopped and turned to look at me.

"Where's the fire? Geez…it's not like we have to go straight home…I don't feel like going home." I let her know, lowering my gaze. Home reminded me of mother and how I wasn't going to see her ever again.

"Asuma-_sensei_ said…" Sakura started, giving me that responsible look.

"I don't give a shit, okay?" I cut her off. "You go wherever you wanna go, I'm going to get a drink."

"You're drinking now?!" Sakura yelled, knitting her brows.

"Yeah, I'm not little miss perfect, like you. Maybe that's why Sasuke left you…" I said. As I ended the sentence I felt bad about it, but grief fuelled my anger.

Sakura lowered her gaze for a moment and I feared she was going to cry. However, her jade eyes pierced into mine the next minute and she spoke:

"Maybe." She was smiling.

All my anger melted like butter in the sun.

"Sakura…"

"I'll have that drink with you."

ooooOOoooo

As expected, things weren't going to go smoothly. Asuma met us straight on, along with some other _shinobi_ I didn't recognize. It wasn't such a big deal, Asuma wasn't a match for me. Even Kurenai, with her extraordinary _genjutsu_ couldn't call herself my match. I was only prudent about two people. One was Kakashi, who's use of the _Sharingan_ was exquisite for someone outside of the Uchiha clan and the other was Maito Gai, who's _taijutsu _techniques defied even the _Sharingan_. The time couldn't have been chosen better it seemed, for the two jounin seemed to be away from the village, probably on missions.

The other _shinobi _Asuma was with was probably a Chuunin, and had just made said rank, by his appearance. Konoha must be facing financial difficulties, sending all of their most valued ninja off like that…inner security was just as important though.

_Of course_, understanding hit me. Pein probably had decoy troops infiltrated in the Fire Country…The moment was well chosen.

The young chuunin was shaking, barely noticeably, but nothing could escape my gaze. My eyes turned to him and he looked at me with fear and shock for realising what he had done and he quickly tried to turn his gaze away. It was too late. His body collapsed to the ground, seemingly lifeless. Asuma's eyes burned with anger.

_He's not dead, Asuma-san_…I say it only in my mind. I had an image to maintain after all…

"You won't escape me this time, you bastard!" he yelled and wind _chakra_ surged through his blades.

One look towards Kisame was enough and he grinned, taking out his Samehada.

She would come…I had no doubt about it.

ooooOOoooo

As I took another shot of sake, I wondered who could possibly breach the village's security and why Asuma-_sensei_ was so secretive about it. Maybe it had something to do with my mother's death…but I wasn't going to go about charging at her killers to seek revenge…I knew where my level of skill lied, so I figured I'd leave vengeance to my father.

_What if it wasn't them?_

My eyes widened and the cup of sake fell from my hand, breaking upon impact with the floor.

"Ino?" I heard Sakura's voice.

_Father's after them…it couldn't be them infiltrating the village…what if it's…_

I got up, the effect of the alcohol evaporating.

"I have something to do." I told Sakura, rushing out.

"Hey, Ino!" she yelled after me.

Asuma-_sensei_…please be safe, I prayed. I was running as fast as I could when I realized I had no idea where he had gone.

_Calm down…think of a solution. URGh!_

I was never any good at this sort of thing. Shikamaru was always the one coming up with strategies.

I looked to the sky, wondering if those clouds could make me concentrate as he did. I saw a bird flying above me without a care in the world.

_That's it!_

My hands formed a quick seal.

_Shintenshin no jutsu!_

It was a long shot, but I managed to capture the bird's body. Everything was so strange, looking through it's eyes and I wasn't accustomed to having wings, but I tried my best. This was the only way to find Asuma-_sensei _and see if _he _was really here…

As I soared through the sky, three silhouettes attracted my attention. Two of them were obviously fighting…and the third seemed to be standing still. I flew lower, only to see Asuma-_sensei_ holding off some weird looking guy in an Akatsuki uniform and next to him stood…

Itachi!

His blood-red eyes looked up at me and I changed direction by instinct.

_Stupid! He can't see realize it's you! Can he?_

Anyway, I couldn't leave things like this. I had to go there and fast. I manipulated the bird to return to the place my body was located. I did this as fast as possible, so the exhaustion of holding the _jutsu_ coupled with the flying session almost wore me out.

_Kai!_ I yelled mentally as I got in sight of my body.

I felt the cold stone underneath my skin, sign that I had reconnected with my body. I felt weak, especially since I had yet to perfect _shintenshin_ on animals, but I couldn't let that stop me. Not when it came to _him_.

I leaped from roof to roof, ignoring the gradual pain that my body had started to feel. My mother's death…and Itachi's appearance in Konoha…what could this mean?

Finally, I had them in sight. Asuma-_sensei_ was managing to fend off the shark guy as Itachi just stood there, like he was waiting for something.

My brows knit as I land right in front of him.

ooooOOoooo

Her form appeared before me and I was stunned for a moment. Golden hair, unwilling to fit in her pony-tail and cerulean eyes, red from crying pierced into mine.

_Ino_…

As if my thoughts had somehow materialized into the real world I heard an angry cry.

"INO!"

It was Asuma-_san_ voice. His moment of carelessness earned him a wound from Kisame's sword.

She turned worried eyes to him and the next thing I saw was the seal she was forming. Of course, Kisame realized her intention. She was way too slow to stand a chance against him. Asuma was too far away to help her and by the way things were going, his Samehada was in for a tasty meal.

"Stop, Kisame." My voice is low, but loud enough for him to hear and he ceases his movement, looking at me befuddled.

Ino also looks at me with a mix of surprise and disbelief written all over that beautiful face of hers.

"I'll handle her."

Kisame nods and blocks Asuma's attack.

"Ino! Get out of here!" He shouts, barely managing to hold Kisame off.

She disobeys, looking me in the eyes. My features remain the same…a frozen mask. I see her approaching me slowly, her inner struggle written all over her face. The next moment she is in front of me, her eyes rising to mine.

"Itachi…" she whispers. It's more like a question, though it lacks the interrogative tone.

I allow myself one moment of peace, as I stare into her eyes. Blue…so very blue.

"_INO!_" This time the voice didn't belong to Asuma. I tear my eyes away from her to look at the perpetrator.

"What the hell are you doing? Damnit! Troublesome woman!" he yelled. It was a boy, about her age with dark hair and a determined expression on his face.

I saw her turn to look at him and I hated the feeling her eyes held.

He wasn't wasting any time as he formed a strange seal.

"_Kagemane no jutsu!_"

I saw Ino walking backwards, away from me, mimicking his movements.

_Shadow bind_…I thought. So this boy was from the Nara clan.

"Itachi-_san_…" Kisame intervened, obviously intending to lend me a hand, but it seemed he wasn't doing all that well either. From the moment Ino and this boy showed up, Asuma's strength seemed to have tripled. His expression of sheer anger and murderous intent only served to show he wanted to protect these two.

"Stay out of it." I tell him, focusing my eyes on the intruder.

"Ha!" I heard the boy saying as he caught Ino by the wrists. "Like I'd be stupid enough to look into your eyes! I know how you Uchihas do the fighting."

_Apparently you don't know this one…_

The poor boy had no idea I could place one in a _genjutsu_ just by pointing at him, which I did. He seemed to care for Ino, so I showed him her death in the most gruesome way I could imagine. His hands immediately released her wrists, as his cry echoed through the village.

Asuma turned his head to see what was happening. Fatal mistake. It was never good to turn your attention away from the enemy. Especially if the enemy happened to be Kisame. His Samehada hit him straight on and Asuma fell to the ground, unconscious. Kisame had probably extracted a great deal of _chakra_ from him.

"_SHIKAMARU!_" I heard Ino's scream. She was on her knees next to the boy's broken form. I anticipated her next move…she was going to get up and charge at me.

And of course, I was right.

"You bastard, what did you do to him?!" she yelled, her eyes burning with anger as she took out a _kunai_ and ran towards me.

I wondered what kind of relationship they had, seeing her all worked up like this for his sake. It made me feel somewhat uncomfortable to have let him live.

She was just meters away from me. Kisame was standing still, waiting for my move. The time had come for me to do what I came here to do.

"_Nikudan sensha!" _The voice came out of nowhere and the next thing I saw was a huge _rolling boulder_ approaching me with lightning speed. I jumped aside, dodging it and the thing came rolling right back. _Annoying._

"Kisame." I spoke, letting him know I wanted him to handle this bug.

He didn't wait for me to say it twice, as his Samehada blocked the meat tank, making it switch to its original self. A fat boy, no older than the one I just took care of appeared instead of the rolling boulder of flesh.

Ino had stopped in her tracks.

"Choji?" her voice held fear and worry. So she cared for this one as well. Too bad, my patience was growing thin and I'd had enough interruptions.

With one sign I stopped Kisame from delivering a fatal blow. This boy was looking straight into my eyes, unlike his wiser colleague.

"Tsukuyomi."

Not more than a second had past in the real world and his body fell to the ground, without a sound. Not one word, not one scream revealed the torture that he went through in my illusion world.

ooooOOoooo

"CHOJI!" I yelled, tears spilling from my eyes.

I couldn't take it anymore, first Asuma-_sensei_, then Shikamaru and now Choji…Itachi had taken this too far. I didn't care about what I felt for him anymore. I only knew I wanted him dead.

I ran towards him, _kunai_ in hand. He didn't move. His gaze never wavered as he looked into my eyes.  
He's going to use his _Sharingan_ on me…I thought. I didn't care anymore.

But he didn't. I stopped in front of him, _kunai_ pointed at his chest.

"WHY?" I yelled, tears flowing down my cheeks. "Why did you do this?!"

His eyes pierced into mine, emotionless, cold…and red like the blood that came out of Asuma-_sensei_'s body.

His hand gripped the blade of my _kunai_ before I even realized what was happening. I notice his ring for the first time. _Crimson…_

Blood came out of his palm as he tore it away from me, but his expression remained the same. One of his hands grabbed my throat and I struggled for breath, coughing. His other hand turned the _kunai_ around and, grabbing it by its hilt, pointed it at my chest.

ooooOOoooo

My fist tightens around the weapon. She was looking at me, her anger so much stronger than the fear she felt. Her skin was so pale and soft, it felt like a sacrilege to pierce it…I almost couldn't do it. Maybe it would have been better to use _Tsukuyomi _on her…but it's effects were even more dangerous than physical damage. Plus, I had just used it earlier on that annoying brat and my _chakra_ level was pretty low.

She looked into my eyes, defying the deadly threat they harbored. I toss away my inner struggles. Just like that time with Sasuke…this had to be done.

My muscles harden as I push the kunai into her chest. Her blood splatters all over my arm and mixes with the red color of my cloak. I look into her eyes as life drains from them, their shining blue color fading into a dull grey.

Her body can no longer sustain itself, so she falls to the ground…so slow…so agonizingly slow. I cancel the sharingan, not because of exhaustion, but because I hate to see her chakra dispersing, her energy running out as she was on the verge of death.

ooooOOoooo

My eyes widened and I felt pain as the sharp blade pierced through my flesh. I wanted to scream, but he held my neck so tight no sound would come out of my mouth. My eyes rested on his face…so cold…

A lie…Everything had been a lie.

The vision of him becomes blurry and I feel my body hitting the cold stone as he released me.

The last thing I hear is a familiar voice calling my name…

_INO!_

Everything turns dark.

ooooOOoooo

The Nara boy had somehow regained consciousness. He could barely move, but he was crawling towards her.

Kisame grinned, looking at me. There was no need for words between us. I knew he was itching to kill.

"Let's go, Kisame." I turn around, my cloak rising around me like dark wings.

He follows without question, like always. I don't look back, not one glance. I feel tired, as tired as I felt _that night_.

"Are you alright, Itachi-_san_?" I hear Kisame's voice, so low as if it was coming from a distant dream.

"I'm fine." I answer. "Just fine."

We leave Konoha behind us.

**A/N:** I'd really really really appreciate feedback of any kind! And I promise updates will come faster from now on.


	13. Chapter 13

**N/A:**Sorry about the wait, here it is!

**Disclaimer:**Don't own, don't sue!

**Guilt  
**

I feel pain, a distinct pain in the area of my chest and my eyelids flutter. I open my eyes and stare. I see white, lots of white and wonder if I ended up in heaven. As I turn my head, Shikamaru's face appears before my eyes.

"You're dead too?" was the first thing I could think of saying.

He had bags under his eyes, but his smile was brilliant.

"You're not dead…God, you're not dead." His eyes filled up with tears.

My brows knit, as I tried to comprehend the situation.

_He missed the vital point, huh?_

I sat up in a more comfortable position, barely hearing what was going on around me "How're you feeling?" Shikamaru asked, taking my hand into his.

I started at the gesture, although there was nothing unusual in him doing that. His eyes showed worry.

"Better...guess the bastard missed." I replied, conjuring up a smile.

"It was a close call anyway...Sakura worked day and night to heal you..." he added.

_Sakura did?_

"Don't ever fucking scare me like that! What were you _thinking_?!" Shikamaru's attitude had completely changed.

My hand tightened around his, reassuringly.

"I guess I wasn't...thinking."

He rolled his eyes in a fashion that said: you never do. I smiled at him warmly. Then it occurred to me.

"Where's Choji?"

Shikamaru's face darkened, but he changed his expression in a heartbeat.

"You should rest more...I have to go now." he said, pulling his hand away and getting up.

I felt a sting of fear creeping inside of my heart. My fist tightened.

"Damnit, Shikamaru, I asked you a question!"

My eyes glared at him.

He turned to me, defeated.

"He's in a coma...hasn't regained consciousness since that bastard hit him with _Tsukuyomi_." Shikamaru's voice was low and filled with sorrow.

My eyes widened in shock and the breath stopped in my throat.

_No, not Choji! It...it can't be true!_

Seeing as my face was probably white as a sheet of paper, Shikamaru added quickly:

"I'm sure he'll be ok soon..."

I could tell from his tone that he didn't believe that.

"Can't Sakura heal him like she did me?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Shikamaru sighed.

"It's not that easy...his body is intact...it's his mind that's been damaged. No medical ninjutsu can help..."

My nails dug into my own skin, until blood came out.

_Itachi, you fucking bastard...Why weren't you satisfied with just killing me?_

My eyes burned and I suddenly felt very weak again. I couldn't support myself, so I buried myself in the blankets. Tears fell down my cheeks in rivers.

"Oi, Ino! I'm telling you he's gonna be ok! In your condition, you shouldn't..." Shikamaru intervened.

"It's all my fault, don't you get it?!" I screamed, covering my face with my hands. "He jumped into battle to protect me!"

I felt Shikamaru's hands grabbing my wrists.

"Stop it! Do you hear me? Stop it!" his voice was harsh and his features showed anger. "Any of us would have done the same! We're the most united team out there! Choji did what he felt he had to do and he wouldn't want you whining about it!"

My eyes widened at his affirmation. He was practically yelling at me and his eyes were fierce.

"This isn't like you." he added, releasing my wrists and sitting back down.

I stayed silent...I couldn't argue with him. He had taken damage because of me too...his right arm was bandaged and who knows what horrors Itachi made him see.

"Ino..." his voice softened. "Get better soon...please...I...I couldn't stand to lose you too."

My eyes shot up, piercing into his gentle black ones.

"Oh, Shikamaru..." I tried to get up and hug him, but failed miserably. "Ow!" I'd forgotten about my wound. Apparently not even Sakura was able to heal it fully.

"Damnit, woman! You're bleeding again! Stop being troublesome and lie down!" he yelled at me, but the worry in his tone was obvious.

I complied, smiling to myself.

"I'll get someone." he muttered, heading towards the door. "_Don't move_!" With that final warning, he opened the door and stepped out.

I sighed deeply, guilt, anger and sadness all fighting over supremacy inside of my mind.

_I'd make him pay for everything._

My reflections were interrupted by the sound of the door cracking open.

_That was fast..._ I thought, glancing towards the door and expecting to see Shikamaru. My eyes widened in surprise as I saw the last person I expected to see in my hospital room.

Uchiha Sasuke.

I didn't even know what to say as he walked around my bed and deposited a white rose on my night table. Although his gesture had been thoughtful, his dark eyes pierced into mine with a very odd intensity.

My brows knitted. Never had the resemblance between them been as obvious to my eyes as it was now.

"I'm glad to see you're better." he spoke first, sitting down at my bedside.

I remembered that night, when Itachi showed me what he had done to him...We were on the same team now.

I forced a smile and nodded weakly.

"Although I'm surprised you faced him and you're still alive." he said thoughtfully, looking elsewhere.

I didn't take that as an insult...I was just as surprised as he was.

"Guess he missed." I told him.

His eyes turned to me, serious and determined.  
"Itachi doesn't miss...if you're alive it's because he wants it to...I just wonder why."

I froze at his statement. I'd never once thought about the fact that he had missed my vital point on purpose. It was ridiculous. I didn't believe it even now, as his brother said it. But I didn't know what to answer him...his black eyes were looking at me so intensely and I felt the guilt. The guilt of everything I had done and its consequences. The secret was too painful to keep...especially from him.

"Who the hell let _you _in here?" I heard a familiar voice.

Shikamaru was sitting in the doorstep, glaring at Sasuke. Sasuke didn't return his glare, but in change, ignored him completely.

The Shikamaru I knew had obviously disappeared somewhere, because the one I was seeing entered the room determined and grabbed Sasuke by his collar. My eyes widened in disbelief.

"It was your _fucking brother_ that did this to her, and yet you have the nerve to come in and point accusations?!"

"Shikamaru..." I started, trying to calm him down. I felt even more guilty right now, because he trusted me so much, he'd freak out if anyone doubted my actions. But Sasuke was right to doubt me...

"Stay out of this, Ino! I've had enough of _the Uchiha_! All they bring to this village is misfortune!" Shikamaru's eyes were burning and I looked at Sasuke, who had maintained his calm, despite of the situation.

"You should have never come back." Shikamaru finished, letting go of his collar.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" I objected, loudly.

"Don't Ino..." it was Sasuke that stopped me this time. "He's entitled to his opinion and he's partly right." His eyes turned to Shikamaru. "But you're forgetting two things...that bastard's renounced the name Uchiha a long time ago...and he's taken more from me that he could ever take from you." With that, he walked past Shikamaru and exited the room.

My shoulders lowered, as if pressed by an invisible weight. Sasuke was right.

"Don't you think you exaggerated a little?" I asked Shikamaru.

"Stop defending this guy! After all he did to Naruto and Sakura...to this whole village...and now he's asking you why _his fucking brother_ left you alive?! I wish he'd just roll over and die." Shikamaru had a murderous look in his eyes I had never seen before. His tone was cold and harsh, leaving no room for argument.

"Shikamaru..."

He sighed as if the outburst had drained the energy from him and sat down at my bedside.

"The nurse is on her way."

"Is Sakura here?" I asked.

Shikamaru looked elsewhere.

"She collapsed from the exhaustion of healing you…she's resting now."

I feel my hands shaking under the blanket. How many people had suffered because of me? Because of my stupid _egoistical_ desire to be with that…

"Yamanaka-san, you're as white as a sheet. You need a blood transfusion…" I heard the nurse's voice.

"No, I don't!" I snapped. Shikamaru looked at me as if I were insane. The nurse's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"I don't. I'm fine." I added in a lower tone. "Leave me please, I want to rest."

"Your father's waiting in the hallway…" the nurse tried.

"Tell him to visit me later. I need to rest now." I tell her, knowing I couldn't bear to see him right now.

The nurse made a move to exit the room and glanced at Shikamaru.

"He'll only be a few seconds." I tell her and glare at Shikamaru, who was preparing to get up. He promptly sat back down.

_Finally, she's gone._

"Hey, Shika…" I ask in the sweetest of tones. "Do you think they'd let me see Choji?"

"I don't think that would be a good idea. First of all, you shouldn't be moving. Second of all…"

"Thought so." I cut him off.

The seal had already been prepared under the blanket, so he wouldn't see. My eyes pierce into his and my fingers reveal themselves as I whisper.

"_Shintenshin_ _no_ _jutsu_"

I managed to see Shikamaru's expression before our bodies switches. It was a mix of awe and "Damn!"

Now in his body, I feel the distinct headache that occurred when I used Shintenshin with low chakra. I probably wouldn't be able to hold his body for long, so I got up and exited the room. My body was resting safely on the hospital bed and anyone would assume I was asleep.

Where the hell could he be?

"Excuse me, nurse?" I asked.

"Nara-_san_? Is Yamanaka-_san_ asleep now?"

_Damn your chit-chat!_

"Yes, she is. Please tell me…I forgot. What room is Akimichi Choji in?"

The nurse looked at me, surprised.

"Why you were just in there! It's 405 of course…I guess seeing your girlfriend made such an impression on you, you forgot everything else!"

_GIRLFRIEND?!_

"Like I'd ever…" I started, but quickly clasped my hands over my mouth. "She'd never take a second look at me." I said instead, turning my back on the annoying nurse.

I suspected she had a dumbstruck expression, but couldn't care less. The strain from maintaining the jutsu in my state had started to take effect. I felt my mind tugging to leave the body.

_Room 405…_

I hurry down the hall and I feel Shikamaru's hands starting to shake after I pass a panel that says intensive care.

I push the door open and the body I've captivated freezes. Choji was lying there on the bed, connected to some machines. He had an IV and his skin was as pale as a sheet of paper. He was also a lot skinnier than I remembered.

I push myself to my limits in holding the _jutsu_ and enter the room, sitting by his bed.

"Choji…" I start, hearing Shikamaru's voice echoing inside of the room. I had never possessed his body before and it sounded weird.

No answer.

I touch his hand and quickly retract my fingers, startled. It's so cold.

My eyes fill up with tears as I look at his face. He always had a certain blush on his cheeks and he always smiled, but right now his face was so white I could barely tell it apart from the bed sheets and his features were unmoving…frozen.

My fist clenches and I feel a distinct pain, like I've never felt before. One of my best friends was standing there, in a coma…and it was all my fault. He jumped into battle to protect me and here I was standing, living, breathing…and he was…just a vegetable on a hospital bed. Who knows what horrors Itachi put him through...

The body I stole starts to shake as tears fall down my cheeks.

"Wake up, Choji, please…" I whisper in a trembling voice.

But I can't reach him and his eyes stay closed.

The pain cripples me and I want to scream, but I can only do it in my mind. The scream is so powerful; it jolts me out of Shikamaru's body.

I open my eyes and see my own hospital room and the headache I acquired is killing me. Someone bursts into the room and I turn teary eyes to the intruder.

"_INO_!" My father's tone was angry and his expression was one of despair.

I want to say something, ask him why he stormed in here like this, but before I could speak he rushed to my bedside and grabbed my shoulders.

"What did you do?" he asked, shaking me.

My father had never scolded or yelled at me, so I looked at him, surprised.

He released me, but his gaze was as serious as I'd ever seen him.

"What did you do…" he repeated, his shoulders lowering.

"I just wanted to see Choji!" I yelled at him. "They wouldn't let me, so I used _Shintenshin_ on Shikamaru!"

My father's blue eyes locked with mine as the door opened again and the Hokage herself rushed inside.

"What is the meaning of this?" she blurted out, catching her breath.

My father rose.

"My daughter didn't know what she was doing. I apologize. Seeing her team mate like that probably made her lose control…"

I look at my father and then at the Hokage, not understanding anything.

"Inoichi, you know better than anyone…" she started.

"I know." My father cut her off. "I will see to it that it never happens again."

Tsunade nodded and exited the room, not sparing me a second glance.

"What the hell was that all about?" I asked my father.

He sat down as if an invisible burden was pressing over him.

"You just sent a shock wave throughout the mind of everyone in this hospital."

I look at him, dumbfounded.

"I felt it first, that's why I rushed in here." He continued.

I try to make sense of his affirmation, but it seems ludicrous.

"That's stupid…on so many people, I couldn't…"

"I thought so too." My father cut me off. "Apparently you can, if you're pushed to your limits."

Seeing me lower my eyes, he added.

"It's not your fault…of course. Seeing Choji must've…But I still can't understand how, without knowing the _jutsu_…"

My eyes pierce into his.

"What _jutsu_?"

He made a move as to clasp his hands to his mouth, but it was too late.

"What _jutsu_?" I insisted, my tone getting higher.

"Ino, I…" he started.

Thousands of thoughts ran through my mind. Itachi was right, wasn't he? The Yamanaka clan did have some sort of insane _jutsu_ they kept secret…my father's reaction was proof enough.

Suddenly, the terrible headache came back. My hands clutched my head and my shoulders sank from the pain. My father was saying something, but I couldn't make out what it was.

I felt the exhaustion from using _Shintenshin _and something else, something that drained the life from me more than any _jutsu_ I'd used before.

I leaned on the pillow for support, but my vision turned blurry. My father was still speaking, I could hear fragments.

"…for your own good…"

"I can't…" _hear you_ I wanted to continue, but my mouth wouldn't speak the words.

My hands went limp and I closed my eyes, abandoning the battle.

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews! They keep me going. If you have the time, don't forget to tell me what you think.

P.S: I'm too tired to check for misspells right now, so I apologize if any of them hurt your eyes.


	14. Chapter 14

**N/A:** It took me forever, I know. I beg forgiveness.

This chapter contains spoilers from the manga, read at your own risk.

**Disclaimer:** Now if I owned Naruto, Itachi would still be alive.

**Secret**

Sakura entered the hospital, walking slowly. The bags under her eyes were indication that she hadn't rested much.

Heading towards Ino's room, she walked past Sasuke and froze in her tracks. Even if her friend's well being was her priority right now, she still couldn't get him out of her mind.  
"You've seen...Ino?" she asked him.

Sasuke nodded.

„How is she?"  
"Better, I guess. Thanks to you."

Sakura smiled, but seeing as Sasuke was prepared to resume his walk, she grabbed his wrist. Her feautres showed despair.

„Sasuke...I..."

Sasuke looked at her with something akin to pity in his grey eyes. Sakura retreated her hand quickly.

„I'm...sorry. I'll see you." she said, turning her back to him so he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes.

_I'm sorry too, Sakura_, Sasuke thought looking after her.

ooooOOoooo

I woke up feeling oddly rested and glanced around the room. In a split second all the memories from before I fainted came back to me...the terrbile headache and that secret jutsu my father tried so desperately to hide from me.

I saw Shikamaru asleep by my bedside, his head resting on his arms. Poor thing, I had left his body crumbled on the floor in Choji's hospital room.

Hearing me move, he opened his eyes to look at me.

„Sorry?" I started.

He shook his head, smiling.

„You're more stubborn than a damn mule. I don't know why I put up with you."

I smiled too.

„And you should train more...your abs aren't as firm as they used to be."

„You _didn't_!"

I burst into laughs at his revolted expression.

„Ino...you should be careful." he suddenly became serious. „I felt that shockwave too, it was like a hammer strike; some people collapsed..."

My eyes turn icy as I look at him.

„If _my clan_ has some secret jutsu, I don't want to be kept from it. I don't give a flying fuck who collapsed. No one's dead, right? I don't see the problem."  
"You can't be serious!" Shikamaru protested.

„Watch me! If that jutsu's so dangerous, I want to learn it. Than maybe I can get revenge on that..." I stopped mid-sentence, because Shikamaru's hands grabbed my shoulders.

„You're mad! Not even ANBU can handle that guy." his eyes showed worry. „Listen, I want revenge too, but getting ourserlves killed won't help Choji. We have to think this through and send in more teams...when the timing is right."

I pulled away from him, angry.

_I'll do whatever I want. And you can't stop me._

I refrain from saying that aloud. It would only alert him and he'd probably watch me like a hawk.

Instead I kept silent, purposely ignoring him.

The door opened and I saw Sakura coming in, followed by the nurse.

"I see you're better." Sakura said, smiling at me. "I'm glad."

"Thanks." I replied, feeling a bit uncomfortable. To tell the truth, I didn't like it that I had to owe my life to Sakura.

"Miss Yamanaka, I think you're well enough to go home!" the nurse told me, as she looked at my bandage. "But you shouldn't push yourself for at least a week, until the wound fully closes."

I nodded, happy to be able to finally leave this place. After all, I had some scrolls to see.

ooooOOoooo

Kisame and I were momentarily on leave, since the hunt for the Kyuubi had been yet again delayed. It seemed the statue needed time to absorb the tailed beasts and they had to come in a specific order.

As I lie awake in my bed, in the depths of the Akatsuki lair, I hear a knock on the door. I wondered who dared disturb me like this. I had no business with the other members and Kisame knew better.

"Come in." I speak, realizing who it was. The only one who dared impose on my moments of silence.

"What do you want?" I asked the cloaked figure, who's only visible eye stared at me through the orange mask.

"You aren't upset that I dared disturb you, are you, Itachi-san?" he spoke in a shrill tone, as Tobi always did.

"You can drop the act with me." I replied instead and observed with little interest how the hunched figure straightened, taking on a superior attitude.

"Pein told me what you've done. What are you really after?"  
I looked at him with undisguised displeasure.

"It does not concern you. It was a private matter."

"Do you really plan on bringing that girl in the midst of the Akatsuki?" Madara asked.

Did he believe my pretext? I didn't bet on it.

"Perhaps, if she proves worthy." I answer him indifferently.

His eye pierces into mine and I sustain his gaze, without wavering. It was true, my eyesight was getting worse and worse, especially when I used the Mangekyou Sharingan, but I still had enough power, if not to defeat, than to oppose him.

Each Mangekyou Sharingan was different in its own way and possessed unique abilities.

"You should stop trying to protect them. That village will fall one day." he told me.

In the darkness of the room, my pupils merged into the deadly form of Mangekyou Sharingan.

"Are you trying to break the agreement?"

"Don't threaten me, boy!" his voice thundered and his own pupil changed shape.

My expression didn't change. I looked at him, not like cornered pray, but like a predator waiting to strike.

He tuned his gaze away from me.

"I will not break the agreement. But you shouldn't forget your end of the deal." he spoke in a lower tone and then his eyes met mine again. "You are to obey my orders."

I bowed my head slightly in acceptance.

His posture hunched as he exited the room, undoubtedly assuming his role as "Tobi".

I stare into the darkness.

I was running out of time, but I'd be damned if I let him have his way.

ooooOOoooo

My father was waiting for me with a grand meal he had prepared all by himself.

"You've lost weight." he noticed. "Now sit down like a good little girl and eat."

I obliged, not because he asked (I was still mad at him), but because I was so hungry I could eat a horse.

When we both finished eating, I looked at him seriously.

"I want to see the scrolls."

My father lowered his eyes, as if he were expecting this.

"Before I show them to you…" he spoke in a defeated tone, "there's something you should know."

I gestured him to continue.

"The jutsu found in those scrolls is forbidden and for a good reason. Our clan is the only one who can use it, and as you see…there isn't much of it left. The Yamanaka clan used to be a thriving clan. We were so many…"

My father's eyes stared into the distance.

"I was only a child, about your age when you entered the Academy when the tragedy started. The scrolls we kept as our darkest secret were found and my older brother…"

His voice cracked.

"You had a brother?" I ask, awed.

"I did. He tried to learn the jutsu contained in the scrolls…not only that, but he shared them with many other members of our clan."

He paused.

"So what happened?" I urged him on.

"Many of them died without mastering the justu." he said, this time looking me straight in the eyes. "You'll see why when I show you the scroll. My brother and a few others managed to survive and became able to use it. And use it they did…But they were all wiped out."

"Killed?" I ask, my eyes widening. "By who?"

"The ANBU elite, by order of the Hokage. They had become insane."

I try to comprehend all the information given to me. I believed my father told the truth, but I still needed to learn that jutsu. I had great confidence in my lucidity.

"I still want to see them." I tell him.

"I was sure of it." my father took one of the knives from the table and cut his finger, drawing blood. Placing it on the floor, he spoke loudly:  
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

_Summoning, huh…So I wasn't going to find them in a million years no matter how I searched…_

A small wooden box appeared under his hand and he opened it, revealing a scroll. His hand was trembling as he took it out.

"Please, Ino…don't try this jutsu!" he pleaded. "I know you want to seek revenge for what happened to Choji and I can understand that, but…" he took my hand, "I can't stand to lose you too."

My resolve weakened at the sight of him like that.

"You won't lose me dad, I promise."

He nodded, giving me the scroll.

"I'll be at Choza's if you need me."

With that he walked out of the house and shut the door, leaving me with the precious forbidden scroll.

I took a deep breath and opened it. I gasped as my eyes observed the intricate instructions, but as I read even more I realized why this jutsu was forbidden. It was the most sophisticated I had yet to see and it's effects were multiple. I didn't even know if I _could_ learn it, what with all the requirements and all…

Who knew the Yamanaka were hiding something like this?

**A/N:** I'm sorry it's so short. I'll be sure to explain some of the stuff this new jutsu does in the next chappie.


	15. Chapter 15

**N/A:** I'm sorry it took so long, I went job hunting and stuff. I'm officially on a payroll now! :) By the way, "shi" means "death".

Many thanks to **Nukumi**, for the reference on "Tenishi no Jikkou"!

**Shi**** no Jutsu**

My eyes absorbed all the new information hungrily, but with each symbol I read I felt my resolve weakening.

It was insane. Not only was it insane, it was impossible.

But since father had said it had been achieved, it meant it wasn't as impossible as I thought.

The scrolls contained a dangerous variation of the Shintenshin, along with another jutsu. One that was capable of mass murder, depending on the wielder's chakra level and mind.

I studied the Shintensin variation, unceremoniously called "Shi". Since it didn't require any pompous name calling in battle, it hadn't even been given a proper name. It's seals were the same ones I used for Shintenshin…the difference was simply a matter of completely detaching the mind from the body.

I shivered at the thought. Cutting all bonds with the body could result in the mind never returning…and also to the fact that all the damage the "borrowed" body took wouldn't reflect on the original.

I whistled in admiration. After all, it took care of the mind transfer's greatest weakness. Since the user's mind felt the damage, it was naturally mirrored onto the body because of the remaining link. That link had to be severed in order to achieve this new justu.

Now I understood why many had died trying. Successfully severing the link was only the first stage. The second was learning how to return to your own body once the thread had been cut.

I was filled with horror, imagining how the mind energy of those who failed dissipated in thin air, unable to return to the body.

I conjured up enough courage to keep reading and learned that this jutsu could be used to kill an enemy, using his own hands. The trick was to leave the dying body quick enough. I saw with avid fascination that if the jutsu wasn't cancelled in time, the user's mind with perish along with the borrowed body.

Okay, so when my father said it was dangerous, he wasn't kidding.

I felt my resolve weaken, but the image of Choji lying on his bed, in a coma gave me the strength I needed.

I had to practice detaching myself completely and the scroll indicated the methods I could use to return to my own body. They were linked to the next jutsu "Tenishi no Jikkou". With such a grand title as "divine will's execution", this had to be something.

Apparently, this jutsu was also used to kill, but it didn't require the mind leaving the body. It specified that the user must have complete mastery of the Shi no jutsu before proceeding to this one. The advantage was that it could kill multiple targets all at once.

And I thought we were a peaceful clan…

Through extreme concentration, the user was supposedly capable to sense the minds of people within a certain radius, the stronger the user, the greater said radius.

"The user transfers a wave of energy, which hits the targeted minds directly, with no damage to their bodies whatsoever". I raised my eyes from the scroll, remembering the hospital incident. This jutsu required no seals, only special training. It helped, they said, to make a mental image of the target's mind and a representation which might help the user manipulate the energy effectively. The example the scroll gave was of a candle and a powerful wind blowing it.

I had a headache already.

I put the scroll down, figuring I had to learn the first jutsu anyway to even get a shot at the second one.

In order to learn the first the jutsu, I needed a volunteer who's body I could temporarily possess.

_Shikamaru._

No. He'd ask my father about it and put two and two together. And he wouldn't agree to me trying to learn this jutsu, not in a million years.

_Sakura?_

Frankly, I was still very reluctant to ask her to help me. I was already indebted to her and I didn't want to have to owe her more. Besides, she never could keep her mouth shut about something.

Then the answer came to me. It was a desperate choice, but perhaps the best one.

And I knew just where to find him.

oooooOOooooo

"Aw, but Deidara-sempai, I wanna come with!" Tobi whined.

"You can't, hmm! You'd probably screw up the whole operation." Deidara said, narrowing his blue eyes at his partner.

"Deidara-sempai's so mean!" Tobi complained loudly.

"You give Akatsuki a bad name and I don't want to be seen around you."

Pein shrugged.

"That's exactly why he's going. Tobi doesn't give the impression that he's part of a criminal organisation and he's better at blending in with crowds than you are, Deidara. You stick out too much."

Deidara sighed, defeated and his shoulders lowered, as if pressed by an invisible weight.

"Yay! Tobi gets to come with! Tobi's so happy!"

I roll my eyes, wishing I wouldn't have to witness this disgusting act. I had no idea why Madara took his guise to such an extent, but it was sickening.

"Don't care too much for him, do you, Itachi-san?" Kisame's spectral image whispered to me.

There was no need to hide my discontent.

"I can't say that I do."

"I think he brightens up the group, sort of." he told me. "He's amusing."

My poor Kisame…if you only knew what kind of monster lies beneath that orange mask. The kind that makes us and everyone else in the Akatsuki seem like innocent children.

I didn't answer him. He'd probably take my silence as a disapproval of Tobi's ways. He'd probably think I was too serious to know or value humour.

It was better this way.

"Why does this jerk-off get to travel and we don't?" Hidan's spectral image pointed an accusing finger towards Deidara.

"Say that again, you fanatic freak!" Deidara yelled.

Hidan opened his mouth to comply, but Pein's voice thundered:  
"Silence!"

Everyone froze, except Tobi, who was supposedly cowering with fear.

"This isn't some circus clown show! This is Akatsuki and you're all going to respect _my_ decisions."

"Control freak." Hidan muttered, thankfully not loud enough for Pein to hear. Kakuzu shot his partner a disapproving glance.

I wished this would all end sooner. What was the purpose of summoning us all here like this, if he only had orders for Deidara?  
I looked at the one called "Tobi", knowing it must be his doing. After all, Pein was merely a puppet on a string. Madara wanted us to know that Deidara would go on a mission, checking upon the remaining tailed beasts to update our information. Pursuing his goal, he would eventually have to enter Konoha, to gather information on the final and most important Bijuu and its Jinjuuriki, Uzumaki Naruto.

Madara wanted us…wanted _me_ to know Deidara was headed for Konoha to complete an official Akatsuki mission. And he expected me to believe he was tagging along just for the fun of it?

Oh, he was mistaken if he imagined I didn't see right through his little scheme.

For a split second, my eyes lock with the dark hole in Tobi's mask. I didn't need to see his face to realize the bastard was smirking.

I look away.

He wouldn't try to harm Konoha or my little brother, because our agreement still stood. But he's not as simple minded as to believe that I wanted Ino for myself or that I did what I did in order to eventually recruit her in the Akatsuki. He knew I had other motives and he was going to find out what they were. And if he did find out, he was going to dispose of her.

His game was one of deceit and trickery…he hoped my own actions would betray me.

How wrong he was.

oooooOOooooo

Training area number seven.

It's the place I used to sneak in, followed by Sakura to watch our crush train. We used to drool and look at him wide eyed, from our bushy hideout and eventually start bickering over him.

But that was many years ago and my reaction was simply one of admiration for his skill when I saw him throw his shuriken with accurate precision.

"Sasuke-kun?" I approached him, now feeling reluctant about my request.

He seemed a bit surprised, but he didn't scowl like he did when we were little, but instead focused his attention on me.

"I…wanted to ask you something." Okay, this would probably sound weirder than it was.

He gestured me to continue.

"I was wondering if I could practice my mind transfer on you. I'm trying to train for a jutsu and I…uhm…need your body."

I gave myself a mental slap.

"A volunteer, I mean."

Sasuke's expression had turned into a smirk at my obvious discomfort.

"I'm only going to use the jutsu for a few moments at a time." I added.

To my surprise, Sasuke didn't ask me why I came to him of all people, but instead nodded shortly.

"Ok."

"Really?" I was baffled by his attitude.

"Why not."

I started to fidget a little as I added what I thought to be the most unpleasant part.

"I'm going to maybe have to…scrape your finger or something."

He looked at me, confused.

"Just to see if the scrape appears on my own body." I added quickly, waiting for his reaction.

He grinned that confident grin that had all the girls (including the old me) melting in his presence.

"I think I'll survive." he told me.

I realized I wasn't expecting him to agree to this so quickly and now I had forgotten half of the mental training I was supposed to do.

"Ok. Just stay there." I told him, preparing the seal.

_Shintenshin no jutsu!_

I felt the sudden jolt which accompanied the use of the technique and suddenly saw my body crumbled on the ground in front of me.

I noticed with displeasure that my elbow was resting not so comfortably on a rock.

"That's gonna leave a mark." I said in Sasuke's voice.

What I wouldn't have given to be in this position years ago. Imagine…me…actually being in Sasuke's body.

I didn't give course to the perverted curiosities my old self bombarded me with. Instead, I realized I hadn't succeeded in severing the remaining link with my body. It simply wasn't that easy.

I didn't even need to cut my finger to know that I had been unsuccessful.

I decided to release his body and try again. I still had enough chakra for a few more tries, because Sasuke wasn't trying to resist me.

_Kai!_

"Ow…" I muttered, rubbing my elbow. I really had to find some softer place to land, because if my body took more falls like this one I'd be covered in bruises.

Sasuke looked at me with a pensive expression.

"Hmmm…That was an interesting experience."

I got up, feeling some pain in my left leg too.

"I didn't get it right. I'll have to ask you to help me some more." I told him, looking around.

Was there nothing but hard ground and rocks in this area?

"What are you looking for?" he asked.

"Someplace softer to land. Even if I stay on my knees while doing the jutsu, my body might still collapse and this place has rocks everywhere!"

He started to laugh and I looked at him befuddled.

"Well it is an obstacle course. It's designed for speed and agility training."

"Why were you practicing shuriken-throwing then?" I ask him, a bit annoyed.

"Because I'm already fast and agile enough." he replied.

_Now here's the Sasuke we all know and love._

I raised an eyebrow at his remark and was just about to reply with a witty comment on arrogant people, but he spoke again.  
"We could go someplace else for you to practice, but this is the most secluded training area…"

"No, we'll stay here." I told him, determined.

There was a spark of admiration in his eyes I didn't fail to notice as I prepared my seal. I got on my knees this time and made sure there weren't any rocks in close proximity to where my head might fall.

_Detach myself completely…detach myself completely. My mind is separate from my body_. From _the _body.

I remember the seal said to concentrate on completely removing the particle "my", because it was something the mind perceived as one with it.

_The body…I could have any other body, forever. This is just a body. _

_Remove completely…_

I felt the sudden jolt, without having to think about the jutsu's name and I saw the world through Sasuke's eyes again.

"Did I do it?" I wondered aloud. I liked hearing his voice controlled by me like that.

Is the link severed? I didn't feel it as strongly as I did before, but I couldn't tell if it was completely gone.

I took out Sasuke's kunai and scraped his finger, until a drop of blood came out, then I rushed to my own body and looked at the same finger.

No blood.

I felt immense joy and pride at my achievement.

Suddenly a small cut appeared on the pale skin and tiny thread of blood trailed out of it.

All my excitement shattered.

So all I had managed to do was weaken the link, delaying the wound's reflection on my original body.

I sighed, disappointed and annoyed and cancelled the jutsu.

In my own body again, I sucked my finger nervously, getting rid of the blood trail.

Sasuke merely wiped his away indifferently.

"All I managed to do was delay it…" I told him, sulking.

"That's still something, isn't it?" he said.

I look into his grey eyes, feeling a little better.

"If you keep training hard, I think you'll do it. I'll help you if you want me to." he said in an indifferent tone.

My eyes widen, wondering if this was really Sasuke.

"Come on. You should try again while you still have some chakra left."

I smiled at him and prepared the seal again.

By the end of the day, I was lying on the ground, exhausted. At the last attempt I didn't even manage to hold the body enough to scrape the finger.

I look at my own hand. The cuts had gotten increasingly smaller as the link between my mind and body weakened. Sasuke however had bloody hands and I felt really bad about that.

"I'll try and heal you…" I told him.

"Don't be silly. You can't even stand up."

"As if." I muttered, trying to prove him wrong. And stand up I did, except my knees were trembling so badly, I would've fallen back down again if it weren't for a pair of strong arms supporting me.

"Why are you so nice?" I ask him, confused by his attitude. This wasn't the Sasuke I knew.

He hauled me up into his arms and started to walk. He was silent for a moment.

"You've suffered because of my brother. And it's because of him you're training so hard. You want revenge, right?"

My breath stopped in my throat. How could it be that he was seeing through me so easily?

"I can relate to that." he added, carrying me out of the training area.

I kept silent, feeling the stings of guilt again. He was right about revenge, but he had no idea about my part of the deal. I was to blame too, for letting myself get so close to Itachi.

"So…What went wrong with you and Sakura?" I ask, wanting to change the subject.

"I care about her a lot, just not…like that." he replied. "And there's someone who can treat her the way she deserves to be treated…right under her nose."

My thoughts trail to Naruto and his pure, honest love for Sakura. She'd always rejected him, mostly because of Sasuke. Maybe now she'd give him a chance.

"You're not as bad as I thought." I tell him as we get closer to my house.

"Right back at you."

As we reached the doorstep, he gently let me down, but the door opened before I could take out my key.

"Goodbye, Inoichi-san. Tell Ino I stopped…" Shikamaru's sentence ended abruptly as he found himself face to face with me and Sasuke.

I was unable to say a word, but luckily my father followed, seeing Shikamaru out.

"Ino! Where've you been, princess? I haven't seen you all day."

"Yeah, _princess_, where've you been?" Shikamaru repeated in an ironic tone.

I glared at him, but Sasuke saved the day, addressing my father.

"I ran into her at the training grounds and we practiced shuriken throwing. She exhausted herself so I figured I should walk her home as thanks for training with me."

I wanted to hug Sasuke right then and there. If nothing else, he was at least extremely perceptive.

"Well, that's nice of you…Uchiha Sasuke-kun." My father said politely. I knew he didn't have much appreciation for Sasuke. He never did, even before he left the village.

"I'll be going." Shikamaru said, his dark eyes piercing into my own. "Nice to _bump_ into you."

He left without saying a word to Sasuke.

"I have to take my leave too. Take care." Sasuke said, turning to leave.

"Bye." I muttered, feeling angry and upset at the same time.

I went inside the house, slamming the door.

What was _his_ problem?

**A/N:** I realize Hidan and Kakuzu are dead, but in my universe Asuma is still alive and so are they. Because Hidan's fun.


	16. Chapter 16

**N/A:** Sorry for the long wait! My job is killing me :(

**Intervention**

I was pissed. The training for my new jutsu was wearing me out and I had lost more weight than I ever wanted to. My father got more concerned each day, but I lied telling him I found the jutsu too hard to learn. The web of lies kept growing around me and I could do nothing to stop it. Once started, this path was the only one I could pursue.

The only one I could count on in these troubled times was Sasuke. He helped me train and kept it a secret from everyone else. He was quite skilled and surprisingly turned out to be a really good teacher. I could now perform the fireball jutsu perfectly.

"You're quite skilled at ninjutsu." he told me once.

I smirked and blew another astonishing wave of fire as he looked at me with admiration. Strangely, I didn't care about his admiration anymore. The only thing I could think about was how Itachi was going to react when he saw me perform his clan's trademark jutsu.

I was spending more and more time with Sasuke and everyone was beginning to notice. Shikamaru had grown increasingly distant and I only ran into him twice, when we were both in the hospital, visiting Choji. Even then he spoke little and was in a hurry to leave. I didn't care or at least that's what I was telling myself. Of course, he could stay calm and get on with his life, it wasn't like what happened to Choji was his fault.

Inside I knew this wasn't so. I knew Shikamaru cared about Choji just as much as I did, if not more. But I had gotten so accustomed to lying to everyone; I couldn't let myself be the exception.

Sakura was avoiding me as well. She heard the rumours that me and Sasuke were supposedly going out, because we were seen together so often.

Typical, she believed them without even asking me. So why should I care what she thinks?

Truth be told, I was grateful to Sasuke for helping me and I was attracted to him in a twisted sort of way. I didn't want to admit to myself that this was because of his resemblance to _him_. But I didn't feel anything for him beyond that.

I lost it once when we were practicing taijutsu and he pinned me to a tree. His eyes turned crimson and his pupil split as the _sharingan_ surfaced. He had never used it with me before and seeing him like that made the breath stop in my throat.

"I thought you weren't going to use it…" I managed to speak, not being able to tear my gaze away.

"I didn't activate it willingly…sometimes a strong emotion triggers it." he answered slowly. He looked away from me, as if he regretted his words. His hands still held my wrists.

But I didn't even hear him…or see him for that matter. I felt an odd mix of feelings as memories of another person with dark hair and crimson eyes blurred the line between dream and reality.

He looked at me again his face drew closer to mine, so close I could feel his breath on my skin.

I wasn't thinking when I pressed my lips against his. With my eyes closed, I only realized what I was doing when he responded, deepening the kiss.

My eyes flashed open and a thousand emotions rushed into me at the same time. Why did I do that, _how_ could I do that thinking about someone who put Choji in a coma and nearly killed me? And _how the fuck_ could I forget even for a second that this was Sasuke who had his tongue down my throat and not his goddamned brother?  
I struggled a bit and he let me go instantly, stepping back.

He seemed troubled and I didn't have the nerve to look him in the eyes. My hands had gotten as cold as ice. I rubbed them together in silence.

"Well…fuck." I finally spoke, seeing how he wasn't saying anything. When I raised my eyes to his, he was still fixing me with an unreadable expression.

"I'm sorry! I don't know what I was thinking." I tell him with obvious discomfort.

"You shouldn't apologize." he finally replied.

Silence fell again.

"Is it so wrong?" he asked in a low voice.

_Yes, a million times yes!  
_"I…don't know." I answer instead.

He came closer to me and took my hand into his. His hands were burning, warming me up. His now grey eyes bore into my own with an unusual intensity.

"I want you."

_Bombs away!_

"You…what?"

"I want you." He repeated simply.

My jaw was hanging open and I looked at him as if he were insane. I mean…I'd noticed he was always eager to help me train, but I thought he did it because he believed we shared the same purpose. Which we did, to some point, but this was more than unexpected.

"I…"

_What the heck was I supposed to tell him?_

"Give it some thought." he told me, turning to leave.

I stayed there, perplexed and looked at his back as he got further and further away from me.

Naruto was waiting impatiently at the Uchiha compound's gate. He was waiting for Sasuke, which he couldn't locate anywhere no matter how hard he searched. He stomped his foot nervously. After all, patience was one attribute he simply didn't possess.

Luckily, not even five minutes passed and Naruto saw a silhouette in the dark. Since the person was apparently in no hurry to get to the gate, Naruto ran towards him, yelling.

"Hey, Sasuke!"

"How'd you know it was me, dobe?" Sasuke asked his energetic friend.

"Because no one else ever comes here." Naruto laughed.

"You even fail at being funny. What do you want?"

"You wouldn't know funny if it hit you in the face." Naruto shot back.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I wanted to hang out with you. I thought we could go have a drink somewhere."

"Since when do you drink?"

Naruto turned red, grateful it was too dark outside for Sasuke to notice.

"I drink sometimes."

Sasuke looked at him, amused. Naruto was so easy to read.

"Sakura's out with Tsunade again, huh?" he asked his friend, refraining from bursting into laughs at Naruto reaction.

"How'd you…" He clasped his hands over his mouth.

"You're too predictable. Fine, let's go. I could use a drink too." Sasuke said.

They started walking alongside one another. As Naruto started blabbering unstoppably, Sasuke thanked the Gods that Tsunade's favourite bar was just a stick throw away from the Uchiha compound.

They both stepped in, noticing that Sakura was indeed there, accompanied by Tsunade and Shizune.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted, waving at her. "What a coincidence to run into you here!"

Sasuke sighed.

_Idiot._

"Hey there Naruto…Sasuke-_kun_." The pink haired kunoichi replied as they took the table next to her.

Sasuke greeted her, avoiding eye contact and sat down opposite Naruto, who had a huge smile all over his face.

"Two cups of sake, please." he told the waiter.

Naruto finally turned his attention from Sakura to his friend.

"So what's the deal with you and Ino?"

"Could you keep your voice down? Geez…" Sasuke replied with obvious discomfort.

"It's not like anyone will hear you with baa-chan yelling over there. She's drunk already." Naruto giggled.

"You'll be even drunker after that little cup of sake, dobe."

"You're avoiding the question." Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke decided to tell him the truth. After all Naruto was his best friend. Ok, only friend.

"I really like her."

"So have you told her yet? I bet she'll be thrilled."

"I'm not so sure." Sasuke said, taking a sip from his cup.

"How come?"

"She's changed…a lot."

"She doesn't like you anymore?" Naruto's questions sounded so childish, Sasuke thought. But what else could he expect anyway?

"I don't know. She's hard to read. I've told her…something."

"What do you mean "something"? Just tell me already." Naruto insisted.

"I told her I wanted her." Sasuke answered.

"Like in…sex?" Naruto eyes were as big as saucers.

"Seems you learned something from hanging with Jirayia. Yeah, that's what it means."

"But you said you really liked her. So all you want with her is…_that_?"  
Sasuke sighed.

"No. I do like her. But I had a feeling she'd back away from everything if I told her how serious I was."

"What? You've got it all wrong. Girls _want_ you to be serious." Naruto told him, happy to be able to give someone advice about love.

"You're an idiot." Sasuke replied simply, emptying his cup.

"Sakura-chan's prettier anyway." Naruto muttered, realizing his knowledge of the female psyche was too limited for him to pursue the matter any further.

"Go get her." Sasuke said with the air of a man who just told his dog to fetch a stick.

"I'm serious, you asshole!" Naruto snapped.

"What makes you think I'm not?" Sasuke noticed Tsunade was just getting up, supported by Shizune and Sakura was preparing to leave with them.

"Hey, Sakura!" he called and the girl looked at him, surprised.

"Why don't you hang with us for a while?" he asked.

Sakura's eyes widened, but she nodded her acceptance quickly.

Naruto shot Sasuke a look of gratitude as his team-mate sat down next to him.

"So…what's new, Sakura-chan?" he asked, trying to make conversation.

"Not much. Mostly training with Shishou." she answered, glancing at Sasuke.

"That's great! You're going to have new powerful techniques in no time!" Naruto kept talking in his usual bubbly tone.

Sasuke looked Sakura straight in the eyes as he got up.

"Sorry, I have to go. I'm meeting someone."

Sakura looked away from him, forcing a smile.

"You're meeting Ino now?" Naruto exclaimed naively.

"Bye Sakura."

His tone had something final to it, something only she could decipher.

Sasuke walked out of the bar, inhaling the cold night's air. He had to crush her hopes once and for all, or she would never notice Naruto, no matter how hard he tried.

He walked back to his house with small steps. The massive compound evoked sad memories every time he strolled down the empty streets. He had yet to become immune to the pain it caused, even if he had gotten used to the loneliness.

oooooOOooooo

I hug my pillow with a deep sigh. I didn't even know what was what anymore. Everything used to be so simple…My best friends were Shikamaru and Choji and my crush was Sasuke…my goal was to get him to like me. And now…one of my best friends was in a coma, my relationship with the other one had gotten way of track and…Sasuke was the one coming on to me. Now was it just me or was the universe upside down?

And all of these things that were happening faded when I thought about _him_.

The one that was to blame for everything, the one I hated…and wanted at the same time. I shake my head, dismissing the last part. It was a craving of the flesh…I hated Itachi with all my heart, not as much for what he did to me, but for what he did to Choji. I'd never forgive him.

So these desires I had, that overwhelmed all reason were probably caused by the fact that I didn't have any action in a long, long time. Well, since Shikamaru…

I should stop thinking about him, if I…

A light bulb went on in my head and I suddenly felt like I knew exactly what I had to do.

I could use…no, use was such a bad word…

Mutual benefit. Yes, that was much better. Sasuke and I could have a mutual benefit.

_But what about Shikamaru?  
_My fists clench and I shut my eyes. I had feelings for Shikamaru, which were never going to change no matter how much we fought. Ever since that night…no, way before then, I've had feelings for him.

But right now I didn't want to indulge in feelings. I couldn't do that. I was becoming selfish and cold, but it was better this way. If I had to hurt someone's feelings, I'd rather it be Sasuke than Shikamaru.

Thinking was never any good in these types of situations…all it did was make everything more confusing. And I pretty much trusted my instincts.

Without bothering to look at the clock, I jumped out of bed and dug through my closet. I threw on a top and a skirt and exited my room quietly, so I wouldn't wake up my father.

The Uchiha compound wasn't far away and I enjoyed the cold night's air as I leaped from roof top to roof top. I didn't even know if he was home…

Painful memories of Itachi's illusion world hit me as I walked down the sad, empty streets. Such a large compound…so many houses…all empty.

I thought it was a bad idea, the decision to leave the houses uninhabited in memory of the Uchiha clan. It was just too sad.

I wondered how Sasuke could cope with it all.

I reached the main building and stepped inside quietly. I could see no light inside, so he was either away or sleeping.

I slid open the first door I could see. I had no idea which room Sasuke slept in. This didn't look like a bedroom though, so I prepared to shut the door and keep on searching.

Suddenly a strong arm grabbed me from behind and threw me on the floor. The weight on top of me prevented me from moving and the cold steel touching my throat made my breath stop.

I looked up to see Sasuke standing on top of me, kunai pointed at my neck.

His feral expression was replaced to a puzzled one as he put his kunai away.

"What are you doing here?"  
My initial fear and shock had faded, but his intervention had given me the thrill I needed to do what I came here to do.

Without answering, my arms circled around his neck and pulled him towards me as my lips tasted his.

If he was surprised, he didn't show it. Instead, he deepened the kiss as his hand ran through my hair, pulling my head back.

I moaned as his teeth sank into my neck, almost savagely. I put aside my inhibitions as his lips trailed down my neck, the darkness swallowing us both.

oooooOOooooo

She was breathtaking, I couldn't get enough of her. Strands of moonlight blond hair surrounded her, falling down her shoulders and onto her breasts and skin so pale it seemed to glow in the darkness.

Her skin was soft, I noted as my hands slid up her thighs and she gave out that delicious moan.

All these years she had been right in front of me, but I never saw her. I simply waved her off like I did any other girl who was obsessed with me. But she was different now. She seemed colder and her attention was focused on battle rather than on…me. She was quite skilled too…she could become deadly.

Sakura was all innocent, and yet willing to indulge in each every desire I might have…Ino was…the mix between a devilish, teasing monster and childish innocence, which one could only see if he dug deep enough.

She bit and scratched and loved to get on top and try to dominate me, so I would roll on top of her by force.

Although she appeared to always want to be in charge, Ino had a hidden desire to be dominated.

And I complied. With my strength, it wasn't hard to pin her down and have my way with her roughly if that's what she wanted.

As my hips rocked back and forth, picking up speed, I wondered idly who she had been with before. Since she was still inexperienced, it was obvious that there couldn't have been many. Perhaps just one.

Who?

Her body suddenly tensed under me.

oooooOOooooo

With my eyes closed, my mind reached into the darkness. I didn't need my eyes to see, didn't want to see…I only wanted to feel.

But in my total abandon, I sensed something strange. It appeared to me in my mind, the image of a small stone making circles on the water's surface. Someone's mind was powerful enough for me to feel its presence without trying to.

And it was close.

"Sorry…!" I mumbled, pushing Sasuke off me.

I picked up my clothes and got dressed as quickly as I could, trying not to lose track of the mysterious presence.

It might be him.

"I just realized…I forgot something!" I lied, rushing out of the house.

As I ran through the almost empty streets, earning myself admiring glances from all the drunks wondering around at this hour, I felt the waves grow in intensity.

I stopped to catch my breath and closed my eyes, focusing all my senses into finding the strange presence.

I closed my eyes, guiding myself by the strange energy and felt it coming closer and closer.

When I opened my eyes to look around, I saw them right in front of me. Two strangers, wearing dark cloaks with high collars were just about to pass by me.

In one swift motion, putting my recent training to good use, I aimed for the throat of the one closer to me. My kunai slashed through his collar as he dodged my attack skilfully.

"Well if it isn't blondie." I spoke in an ironic tone as I got a look at his face. "You're too chicken shit to walk around in the Akatsuki uniform, I see."

Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I shouldn't be provoking him like that, I knew I should run away and alert the Hokage that two Akatsuki were in town…but my hate for Itachi blurred my judgement.

The blonde's eyes widened as he looked at me.

"Well you're either brave or stupid." he finally spoke. "since you know who I am why are you still here?"

"Deidara-sempai! Who's the pretty girl?" The other one spoke in a shrill tone.

He seemed to be the underling so I didn't even bother to look at him. I still felt the powerful energy radiating from a strange mind…I couldn't tell which one of them emanated it, but the blonde one seemed to be in charge…I had to be careful of him.

"Shut up, Tobi!" Deidara snapped. "Now you…if you tell me what business you have with Itachi, I'll make your death quick and painless."

As he finished the sentence, Tobi turned to look at me. His face was hidden by a weird orange mask with a single hole for his eye.

The mention of his name made the blood in my veins boil and my eyes pierced into Deidara's.

My hands formed a quick seal, but he just stood there, underestimating me.

_Shintenshin no jutsu._

The speed of my technique had increased, so I flexed Deidara's fingers, before turning to the other Akatsuki.

"Don't take it personal." I spoke in his voice, reaching for the pouch.

Then the strangest thing happened. Instead of finding shuriken, my hand sank in some sort of clay-like substance. Then I felt my hand grab the substance, but not with the fingers…but…

I stared in disbelief.

This guy had ..

"How _intersting_!" Tobi exclaimed and I turned my attention from the anomaly to him.

"You can enter people's minds…" his tone was now different from the shrill voice.

I knitted my brows. The clay in my hand had somehow taken the form of the kunai. This guy's bloodline limit enabled him to shape the clay after his own thoughts and the mouths on his hands did that automatically.

I charged at Tobi, aiming for his throat. The kunai might not have been steel, but it was sharp enough to wound him.

He didn't dodge my hit and yet…I didn't even touch him. I remained stunned and turned to look at him. Tobi was standing in the exact same place, unharmed.

Then it hit me.

The unusual mental energy I felt wasn't coming from Deidara at all. It was coming from him.

"What…are you?" I mumbled, taking a step back.

I could feel him grin underneath his orange mask.

"Tobi is a good boy." He squealed.

I felt danger…all the pores in my body were breathing it in…real immediate danger.

I should release Deidara's body…run away, call for back up…Thousands of scenarios rushed through my mind as I looked at the strange man before me.

Suddenly, I saw him look behind me. I turned to see what had caught his attention, but my eyes could only distinguish a cloaked figure, hidden by the darkness.

The situation was getting way out of hand.

_Kai!_  
My mind returned to my body in a matter of seconds and I saw Tobi clench his fist.

Deidara was coming to his senses and I knew I had to get out of here fast.

"Deidara-sempai. We have to get back to headquarters."

"What the fuck just happened, hmm?" Deidara yelled.

"I'll explain on the way. The leader summoned us urgently."

Deidara glanced at me from the corner of his eye and then made a quick seal, disappearing into the dark. Tobi did the same.

I tried to find the cloaked figure I had seen, with no luck. Whoever he was, he was gone.

oooooOOooooo

So Madara had figured out her ability. She was in danger right now, no matter how skilled she had become or how she tried to avoid it. She would die.

I come closer, knowing he would sense me. My eyes focus on the dark hole in his mask.

_Look at me. _

He obeys my silent order and I can feel his Sharingan, immensely powerful, but so different than my own.

I can't communicate with him normally, not while she's here. My fingers form a quick seal, placing her in an illusion.

"Why're you going through so much trouble, Itachi-san?" I hear Madara talking, a shrill, fake sound. Tobi's voice.

"You and I have an agreement." I tell him, keeping my calm. "If you break it, so will I."

"Our agreement was that I didn't attack Konoha!" He screamed, losing his composure. "What are you planning with…"

"You're in Konoha, are you not?" I cut him off.

My eyes change into the form of Mangekyou Sharingan. It wasn't willed, but he was bringing me to the edge.

"Are you threatening me?" he hissed.

Dark flames burst all around him, making him take a step back. I knew he feared Amateratsu and wanted the ability for himself.

I felt the strain of using the jutsu as a drop of blood came out of my left eye and ran down my cheek.

"The next time put one foot on Konoha's ground, I'll consider our agreement no longer stands." I told him. I needed to make him leave faster, because it was getting increasingly difficult to keep her in the illusion after I've used Amateratsu.

The dark fire kept burning its way closer to Madara, cornering him.

"You've won this round, boy." he mutters.

I dismiss the fire with a wave of my hand. I'm the only one that can put out the dark flames at will.

My fingers form a seal and I release her from the illusion.

She looks straight at me, but can't recognize me. She seems frightened…

Good.

She can feel he danger even if she doesn't know it. It might save her life in the future.

Deidara disappears, believing Madara's act and he soon follows.

I linger another moment, watching her. She's as beautiful as ever, but her expression is hard now. She's suffered and now she's gained the power to hate, with all her heart.

To hate me…

I smile.

If you only knew that I saved your life right now…

**A/N:** I admit, I didn't check the thing for misspells. I'm sorry if some might of slipped through.

Itachi intentions are still covered by a cloud of mystery, but anyone who's read the manga might have some clue about their nature ;)


	17. Chapter 17

**N/A: **Well it sure took me a while…that's because it's kinda hard to write with a broken collar bone. But I'm all better now so YAY!

**Disclaimer:** Oh, put a cork in it.

**Burden**

"Broken arm? How'd you get that?"

I gave Sakura a bored look. Why out of all the medic nins did I have to end up with her? I should've been able to fix it myself, but the extensive training consumed all my chakra.

"Training."

Her green eyes looked at me inquisitively, but she quickly focused her gaze on my arm.

"You should be ok in a day or two if you stay put." she told me.

"The great medic nin can't fix a fracture right away…" I muttered more to myself.

"No one can!" she snapped.

I looked at her, surprised.

"Maybe Shishou, but other than that…you know what? You always complain about the way people do stuff, why didn't you fix your own damn arm?" she turned away from me, as if she was ashamed of her outburst.

"Fine. I'll do that. Thanks for _everything_."

I got up, preparing to leave. I don't know what possessed me to look back, but I did and saw that she had tears in her eyes. I should feel sorry for her…I should understand that she's like that because of Sasuke.

But I can't. Not when one of my best friends' in a coma and the other is…not when I know her mother is still alive and mine isn't.

I can't feel sorry for her…I can only feel contempt at her inability to get over a guy.

_Who wasn't __even that great in bed._

My gaze was probably reflecting the despise I felt, because Sakura's brow knitted.

"You'll never be happy with him…and you'll only bring him misery."  
I rolled my eyes.

"Save it for someone who cares."

I knew her words were true, but honestly I had gotten to the point where I couldn't care less. It's not like there was anything really going on between me and Sasuke except the occasional booty call.

But right now I wanted to hurt her.

"It's sad, really…I don't give a crap about him and he's still all over me. On the other hand, you're trailing after him like a dog waiting to be kicked."  
I smirked as I saw her expression. Anger, sadness, pain…all mixing into one perfect testimony of my victory.

"See ya." I closed the door behind me, walking out of the hospital.  
For a second, I felt sorry about what I did. Why did I have to be so cruel? She didn't do anything to me. Was I becoming so bitter that I needed to hurt other people so I wouldn't be the only one suffering? Why did saying those things to her give me an impression of superiority?

It was wrong! I was nothing like that…

And suddenly all of my mistakes came crashing down on me like an unstoppable wave. Shikamaru wasn't my friend anymore…I had driven him away. I was simply using Sasuke and it was wrong. I was being distant at best with my father, when we used to be best friends and I knew he needed me. I hadn't seen Asuma-_sensei_ in weeks. I enjoyed throwing words like knives to hurt people.

Tears filled my eyes, threatening to burst out.

What was I turning into? Was I becoming like…_him_?

No. I was only making myself harder and stronger so I could face him and undo the damage he had done.

Undo it? Could Choji ever get well again? I had to believe that. I couldn't bear to think he would never open his eyes again.

I got home and went straight up to my room, throwing myself on the bed.

_Fucking..OW!_

Now that wasn't such a good thing to do with a broken arm.

I wasn't going to cry. I wasn't going to be that weak, even if everything came crashing down on me.

The most painful realisation was that I…loved him. I hated him, but loved him at the same time. He was something I wanted and I couldn't have and that tore me apart. I had always been a spoiled brat and I _always_ had my way. But I trusted him and he walked all over everything I held dear, proving that I was just another game to him.

"Itachi doesn't miss."

Sasuke's words rang in the back of my mind, a doubt that kept raising its ugly head whenever I was in turmoil.

Why would he let me live?

Rain was pouring outside and my mental state was resonating with it. I had to go outside, I couldn't stand to be cramped up inside four walls anymore. My arm felt somewhat better, thanks to Sakura's intervention.

I opened my window and leaped out, heading towards a place that called me in an unexplainable way.

oooooOOooooo

Rain poured from the sky, cold and pure, washing everything away…I tilt my head up, feeling the droplets running down my cheeks.

"If I didn't know you better, Itachi-san, I'd say you were crying." Kisame spoke.

_These are the tears that I can't shed._

"Where are you going?"

"I wish to be alone for a while…I'll be back shortly." I tell him, walking away.

As each day passed I kept getting sicker of it all. The façade of an evil organisation with a puppet-leader, deceiving its members. It made me want to throw up, the way Madara had entangled everyone in a web of lies. But I was bound by my oath and could no nothing about it. Above all, I was bound by my duty to Konoha and my own feelings.

That didn't mean that I had to sit by and witness the horrifying fiasco.

In my moments of peace, I thought about her and our meetings before I shattered her. Foolish creature, she had placed her trust in me so easily.

But I admired her for that.

She was the ray of light in my red and black world.

As I reach the familiar river where she had washed her wounds, my pace comes to a sudden halt.

I didn't expect to find her there.

oooooOOooooo

The rain stopped…

No, I could see it pouring down, clouding my vision. I just couldn't feel it anymore. A figure, dressed in a dark cloak stood a few feet away from me.

I could barely see his face, but I didn't need to. I froze, hundreds of feelings rushing at me at the same time.

Anger, happiness, fear, doubt…the weight of these opposite feelings brought tears to my eyes.

I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there, trying to clear my head.

He wasn't moving…he wasn't even speaking. I started to wonder if this wasn't a pigment of my imagination.

I took a few steps closer, slowly.

He raised his head, his eyes piercing into mine.

Black…like the abyss he represented and…sad.

No. This was all a game to him. He was trying to trick me again, to toy with me. The image of Choji connected to those horrible machines gave me the strength I needed.

I looked directly into his eyes and my hand formed the seal. I had a better chance of winning if his Sharingan wasn't activated. This was what I was training for. I hadn't completely mastered _Shin_, but I was going to kill him or die trying.

The jutsu jolts me out of my body and with a speed I had achieved through many painful training sessions, my mind takes over his body.

I had been successful. No residual signs of his own mind got in the way this time. I could perceive one feeling, one that overwhelmed all his senses.

The feeling of a burden, a terrible burden he had to carry alone and with it…an immense responsibility. A feeling of solitude.

I shut everything out, focusing on what I had to do. I was going to slit his throat and exit his body before he died.

I take a kunai out of his pouch and raise it to his neck. My hands are shaking uncontrollably.

This was what I've been waiting for, what I _had_ to do. I feel the cold steel of the kunai touching his neck and press a little, drawing blood. I can feel the sting of pain, but I tell myself it's only a moment…I have to slit his throat fast and cancel the jutsu…it was fine if I only slit half of it and let him bleed out.

I couldn't bring myself to do it. Was it the fear for my own life, the fact that it seemed like I was committing suicide? The fear of pain?

It was all of those things, but they couldn't stop me. On a deeper level, it was something else.

The kunai falls out my frozen hand, embedding itself in the muddy ground.

I couldn't hold his body anymore.

I cancel the jutsu, hating myself for my weakness. It didn't matter. He was probably going to finish the job.

I open my eyes and see him right in front of me.

His eyes gleam crimson, dangerously. I sustain his gaze with indifference. I failed. Nothing mattered anymore.

oooooOOooooo

The emptiness of her eyes scared me. It was the gaze of someone who had nothing to live for. It was like she was asking me to kill her.

But she was wrong. She had so many things to live for…did she want my death so badly that it would break her spirit if she failed? Or was it her ego that was shattered?

She was unable to kill me. Was it the fear for her life? Then why give it away so leisurely now?

No. It was her feelings for me. Those she denies and hides within the deepest corners of her mind.

I find it almost impossible to love someone like me. Perhaps, like the stubborn spoiled brat she is, she wants what she can't have and mistakes the feeling for love.

Either way, I couldn't leave her like this. She seems on the verge of unleashing the great power her mind holds. I can't have her quit now and I can't take away her reason for training.

My hand grabs her neck, fingers tightening on her fragile skin.

"Is that all you can do?" My tone is cold and cruel and my eyes show despise.

She knits her brows, her eyes tearing up despite of her best efforts.

"Just…kill me." she manages to speak.

"You're not worth killing." I whisper into her ear.

I concentrate chakra into my arm and send her flying a few feet. Her back hits the bark of a tree and I hear her let out a small scream.

I controlled the speed and accuracy…it was only painful without doing extensive damage to her spine. She had to believe I despised her.

Now I had to make her strive to get even stronger. She could do it. I had faith that she could break the invisible chains that restricted her potential.

"Come face me when you're ready. Don't waste my time again."

I walk away and my chest feels heavy. But there's no one else who can carry this burden. It is mine and mine alone.

Konoha had to survive the chaos of the new order Madara would bring. The tailed beasts would wreak havoc over the whole world once he was in possession of them. With the Uchiha almost decimated, few had strength enough to oppose him.

The rain stopped.

I coughed blood. It was the second time this week. My lifespan was like an hourglass turned upside down. The grains of sand were continuously diminishing.

My little brother could become strong, but Madara was as slick as a serpent and was a master in the art of manipulation.

The power of the Hyuuga wasn't enough to counter the deadly effects of the Mangekyou Sharingan. They couldn't even handle one tailed beast, let alone nine of them.

Konoha's major clans were diminishing, their most powerful jutsus locked away. Their best shinobi were killed by the Akatsuki as if they were nothing.

I knew that the Yamanaka, a clan that most people overlooked, had a terrifying secret. They practiced mind control; it couldn't possibly be limited to that kindergarten jutsu they flaunted.

She was the key to their salvation…and my redemption.

Madara wouldn't keep his promise.

**A/N:** I hope that shed some light on Itachi's intentions. Feedback?


	18. Chapter 18

**N/A:** FINALLY! :)

This chapter kind of pushes the M rating…you have been warned.

**Rupture**

Sasuke wasn't bad in bed. He wasn't good either. But maybe that was part my fault. The times when I didn't imagine he was Itachi, I didn't even try. The times I did imagine…well…then I felt half-good, half-guilty and half mad at myself. So what if something couldn't have three halves? It could if I said so.

One time I wondered into the Uchiha compound without telling him anything. I had just visited one of Konoha's local bars and I felt the sudden urge to see the place where he grew up. _Without Sasuke._

The clan's symbol hit me like a punch to the face…it was everywhere, yet this place was so empty…I walked down the sad streets, imagining the massacre.

Itachi…was there a limit to his sadism? Did he actually enjoy killing people who loved him? Maybe that's why he played that little charade with me. And yet I was still alive, while Choji was…

I slide the door open and enter his house. No. Sasuke's house.

It was very late and I had no idea if he was home or not. He always left the door open anyway.

I walked down the hallway slowly, wondering which of the many rooms had belonged to _him_.

Was I becoming obsessed? No…I only wanted to kill him. He deserved to die, not only because he hurt my friends, but because he betrayed my trust.

I stopped and slid open the door to one of the rooms. I stepped inside slowly, trying to distinguish objects in the darkness.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back, pulling it down and I kneeled, gasping.

"Ino." I heard Sasuke's familiar voice as he released me. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"I wanted to surprise you." I lied.

"Bullshit." His eyes pierced into mine in the darkness. Damn him and his perfect eyesight. I had to give Sasuke credit though, he could usually see through my lies. "You've been drinking." he said, matter-of-factly.

"So?" There he goes…annoying me again.

With fierceness I didn't think him capable of; he grabbed my arms and slammed me against the wall. I looked at him, wondering if he could read the dark amusement in my eyes. He was superior to me when it came to taijutsu. He was strong and swift and I couldn't match his moves, but he knew he shouldn't underestimate me. Even without using hand seals, my mind was a dangerous weapon.

As if he knew what I was thinking, Sasuke activated his Sharingan.

"Don't make me use it." he warned.

I looked elsewhere, knitting my brows. For my technique to succeeded, I needed eye contact with him. But he could put me to sleep faster with the Sharingan.

His hand released one of my arms and cupped my chin brutally, making me look into his eyes.

With his dark hair tussled and eyes gleaming red, he looked even more like…

His hand left my chin and grabbed my neck.

"Do you know what I hate?" he asked me.

"I had no idea there was something you liked." I shot back, my own eyes burning with anger. I had gotten along with this, because it was somewhat arousing, but his attitude was beginning to get on my nerves.

Silence fell between us for a few moments, before he spoke again:

"You."

"Huh?"

"I like you, even though you're a bitch ninety percent of the time."

Before I could answer, his hands circled around me and pulled me into him. His lips crashed into mine in what was the most passionate kiss I had ever shared with him. It almost managed to spark the old flame I had for him. Almost.

His hands cupped my breasts firmly and he broke the kiss.

"When I was younger I always thought you were stupid and annoying." he paused, looking for my reaction.

I rolled my eyes.

"And ugly."

_Oh no he didn't!  
_"When I was little I thought you were smart, skilled and handsome." I replied in a calm tone. "Imagine the disappointment."

He smirked.  
"You can't win here. You know that's still true."

"Still, imagine the disappointment."

He knitted his brows, confused. I had him exactly where I wanted.

"Well you'd imagine such a guy would be good in bed." I said, accompanying my words with a shrug.

Then I allowed myself the satisfaction of seeing his priceless expression.

After getting over the initial shock, he smirked.

"Is that so?"

I nodded, unaffected.

He grabbed me into his arms violently and threw me on the bed. He looked at me like a predator gazes at his prey as he took his clothes off.

I was beginning to get aroused, since I've always liked it wild, but pretended to be indifferent.

He had a great body, lean and muscular and he had gotten quite tall. My eyes trailed down his naked form and I couldn't help but smirk.

_To think Shikamaru's actually bigger than Sasuke…_

My smirk seemed to push him to the edge and he got on top of me, practically ripping my clothes off.

When I was naked, he grabbed my hair and leaned closer, looking into my eyes with a feral expression.

"You're not mine. You won't be mine." he whispered. His whole body was trembling and judging by his features, he was suffering.

Half of me felt sorry for him and half of me laughed at the irony of it all.

His hands parted my legs roughly and his lips touched my ear lobe, biting it.

"But you know what, my angelic looking vixen?" he whispered into my ear as he pushed himself into me. "I'll make you mine by force."

He was so rough it hurt and I let out a small scream. His lips captured mine, silencing me and I closed my eyes, my nails sinking into his back.

It was the first time I felt like he was dominating me, that by sheer willpower he had started to tame me. And I liked it. I liked a man that could outmatch me…but there were different ways to do it.

Shikamaru outmatched me by being calm when I yelled at him and it made me feel inferior. He did what I asked to avoid fighting with me, even though he was smarter than me and more skilled. It was his way to outmatch me.

Choji outmatched me with the goodness of his heart, which sometimes made me feel petty.

Itachi…even though I hated to admit it, that bastard outmatched me in everything. Maybe that's why I fell for him the way I did.

And Sasuke…Sasuke had an overall skill level far greater than mine. His bloodline limit gave him powers few ninja could stand up to. While not as good a strategist as Shikamaru, he was definitely smart and most importantly, he could _read_ people. But I didn't feel outmatched by him and I certainly didn't love him. I couldn't even say I liked him…Why was that? He was everything I had ever wanted…

But I didn't even have to ask myself. I knew why. It was because, in my eyes, he was nothing compared to his brother. Even though I hated Itachi with all my heart, I couldn't help but…

Sasuke's rhythm accelerated and I moaned loudly. My eyes were closed and my mind imagined things that I didn't want it to…rationally.

And if I let my imagination have its way, I could see someone else on top of me…his hair was a bit lighter in color and straight, caught in a que. His eyes were also red with the Sharingan, but different…so different…

I almost screamed from the intensity of the orgasm. My nails dug deep into his back as I pulled him into me. My whole body shuddered and I heard him moaning as well.

I knew better than anyone that the mind is the one pulling the trigger here, not the body. The mind gives the body its stimulus and the body reacts. And right now, Sasuke was only half the reason I had an orgasm. If not less.

It was wrong. This was wrong.

He rolled off of me, breathing heavily. Sweat shined on his toned body as he turned to look at me. I forced a smile. He took me into his arms and stroked my hair. I knew it would make him happy if I let him hold me like that as we slept, but I hated sleeping like that. I needed my own space, because I had this weird feeling that if someone held me so close they could somehow realize what I was thinking.

I squirmed a little in his arms, trying to find a more comfortable position. His arms remained firmly in place. I squirmed again.

Finally, I turned to look at him.  
"Do I look like a teddy bear to you?"

He nodded.

I rolled my eyes.

He let go of me, sighing.

"Usually women _want_ you to hold them afterwards."

"Well, I don't cuddle." _Not with you, anyway._

He sighed.

"Good night."

"Good night." I replied, rolling on the other side, so I wouldn't see him.

I couldn't sleep here, in the same bed with him, I just couldn't!

_Relax, Ino. It's just a bed. He's not even here…_

The thought managed to calm me down and I closed my eyes.

But even so, sleep was the furthest thing from my mind. This had to stop, between me and him. While it was giving me some sort of…carnal satisfaction, it also damaged my psyche. Not to mention he was clearly in over his head.

He could read me and yet he only saw the new Ino…what I had become due to his brother. I needed someone who knew the old me, who provoked memories of better times just by being there.

I needed Shikamaru.

"Can't sleep?" Sasuke leaned over me, with a worried expression he didn't even bother to hide anymore.

"I have to go."

He sighed.

"Why don't you ever stay?"

He knew the answer just as well as I did, but his feelings probably blinded him. That's just how love is. It blinds you; it makes you vulnerable and stupid.

I got up and gathered my clothes. He simply stood there, looking at me as I got dressed.

I shot him one last glance.

"Sasuke…go back to Sakura."

I heard the small pause in his breath that he tried to conceal so well. I didn't want to look at him and see how much I had hurt him by saying this, so I just walked away.

Lately that's how I handled everything. That's how I handled my relationship with Shikamaru and everyone else I gave a crap about. And he was still there, asking my father about me, worrying, even if he didn't show it in front of me. In a way I hated him for his concern, because it showed how much better he was than me.

I go home and turn on the water on my tub. Steam starts to fill the bathroom and I throw in my essential oils and bath salt. I wanted to rub off any traces of Sasuke that I had on me…or in me.

As I enter the steaming water, trying to ignore the burning sensation, I feel that I'm really the only thing that I have left. And these few moments of relaxation help me keep my sanity.

Did I really need anyone else?

The thought struck me as being something that _he_ might think. But I couldn't even accept the situation and face it like he did. Half of me yearned for my friends and family and for the carefree life I had before. The other half was numb to everything, sarcastic, ironic in a cruel way and bitter.

The struggle between my two personalities tore me apart, because I couldn't be cruel without regretting it and I couldn't go back to my old self without despising it.

Somehow…I needed to find a balance.

**A/N:** Sorry I took so long. Expect a plot twist pretty soon! :)


	19. Chapter 19

**N/A:** I know this took forever and I'm sorry…but I really had a lot going on.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, bla, bla.

**Choice**

I stare at myself in the mirror. Long blonde hair fell down my shoulders and icy blue eyes

I guess the worst part of it was that there was something that even with my willpower, I could not control. I was a spoiled brat…when I wanted something, if it wasn't handed down to me, I would do everything I could in order to have it.  
Sometimes, once I possessed it, I would toss it away…even if it was a toy, a weapon…or a human being.

I didn't know anymore if it was the chase that made it fun for me, or the simple fact that it pleased me immensely to have my way in the end. Either way, my psyche was simply not made to accept that there was something I could not attain if I wanted to.

So I trained. Long and hard to get the jutsu in that scroll right.

I needed a target…a disposable one.

"Ino…" haven't seen you for a while. "How've you been?" Asuma-sensei had purposely left me out of all the missions, considering that I was still mourning over my mother's death.

"I'm bored. I want to go on missions again."

"I don't know if…"

I cut him off.

"Asuma-sensei…I can't sit around doing nothing anymore." My gaze was determined. He knew me too well to argue.

"There aren't any missions for our team just now…"

"Then I'll do a solo."

His eyes pierced into mine, questioningly. I hadn't done solo missions until now, except the occasional recon.

"I know what type of missions Ibiki voted me for." _And I had been so grossed out by them until now…_

"I don't approve of that and you know it." His tone was firm.

"It's not your call this time, sensei."

I turned around and left. I knew just where to find the Jounin in charge of Konoha's interrogation squad.

"Yamanaka." he greeted me. The dirty prison cell I found him in smelled like blood and tears.

"What have you got for me?"

"Straight to the point…I like that. Come with me." He held the door for me as we exited the cell and headed towards his office.

The bingo book was wide open on his desk and he turned the pages with a hungry expression.

"This one. Shinohana Rui."

I looked at the photograph with little interest. He was actually quite good looking.

"He's S rank…his techniques are flawless and he seems to always find a way to escape our grasp. As far as our intel goes, he only has one weakness."

"Women." My tone was indifferent.

Ibiki nodded, visibly pleased.

"We've tried ensnaring him before, but his instincts are keen and he always figured out our plan before we could trap him."

"You know his location?"

"He was spotted in a village at the boarders of the Fire Country a few days ago." Ibiki's gaze pierced into mine. "I should warn you…everyone that we've sent after him is now dead."

My features remain emotionless.

"You haven't had the proper training to do this."

"Yet you know I can."

Ibiki's mouth twisted in a sort of grin.

"He kills his women after he has his way with them."

It was my turn to grin.

"Does he now?"  
This was the type of lowlife bastard that I would enjoy killing.

"Report to the Impregnators unit. They'll brief you."

I turned to walk away. As I headed towards the instructed area, I thought my father would never approve of this. My mother had to quit this job because of him.  
How ironic it was that I was to step on to her footprints.

I light a cigarette on the way there. It was a bad habit that I had picked up for some time now. I didn't know if Asuma-sensei would laugh or scold me. It didn't matter.

I enter the Impregnators unit. A pretty kunoichi leads me to the person in charge.

The room I enter is enticing. Nothing like I expected an office to be. Pillows all over the floor, the lighting was in shades of red and pink…a minibar conveniently placed in a corner of the room…

And a girl…not much older than me, or so it seemed, smoking a water pipe.

_I could get used to this._

The pretty kunoichi bowed and left the room, closing the door.

"Ino Yamanaka." The woman with the water pipe spoke. "Sit." She gestured to a pillow in front of her.

I comply, studying her. She was brunette, with dark skin and dark eyes. Her face held a certain oriental appeal and her cat eyes were fixed on me. I noticed she wasn't slender, like all the other kunoichi I knew, but had alluring curves like the women in magazines.

Suddenly she reached and grabbed my chin, turning my head so she could have a better look. I knitted my brows.

"Pretty enough." She concluded. "Don't frown at me dear, you'll get wrinkles and then you'll be worthless to us."

If she had slapped me it wouldn't have caused as grave an effect.

I opened my mouth to say something, but she stopped me.

"You're too skinny."

"Excuse me?!"

She lay back on her pillow and smoked her pipe, before she offered me an answer.

"You look too much like a person that trains daily. You couldn't fool them."

She took out a photo from her pocket and eyed it with interest.

"You weren't so skinny before. Actually with all that dieting of yours as a child we always thought you'd make a great Impregnator."

My jaw dropped.

She giggled.

"No need to look so surprised hon…your mother was one of our best recruits."

This woman had a way of leaving me speechless. It wasn't just the way she looked at me, but her entire appearance, the way she moved and the way she spoke.

"Hmm…maybe it's better this way though. We have had failed attempts at getting Shinohana…she looks angelic…he might not suspect her."  
_Was she actually thinking aloud?_  
"I'm still here you know." I eye her with distaste.

A trace of a smile appeared on her beautiful face.

"Maybe you'll do. We don't have time to train you, you have to head out to his location and bring his body to us for examining. Just use your natural skills…if you have them, of course."

I realized my face had gotten red with anger. How dare she?!

"Your name…?" I asked between gritted teeth.

"You don't need to know that yet. I suggest you get your file and your stuff and get going. There's little time."

Like clockwork, the pretty kunoichi from before entered the room.

"I'm thinking black and pink or white and blue." She said to the kunoichi, as if they had some secret code.

"Come, Yamanaka-san!" she grabbed my hand, before I knew what was going on.

"Is your name classified too?" I pulled out of her grip, following her.

"Of course not, I'm Hanayumi…pleased to meet you. Here, you must go in there."

She pushed me inside of a room, in front of a giant mirror. Behind me, she opened a huge closet and started to dig in.

She took out two kimono-like things, except much shorter. One was indeed black and pink and the other white and blue.

"Now we let your hair down…Wow, Yamanaka-san. You have real pretty hair."

I felt like in one of the old Geisha movies. This was beginning to be ridiculous.

"Listen…I just have to kill the guy, right? Why do I have to go through this?"  
Hanayumi looked at me like I was insane.

"Yamanaka-san…you need to fool him in order to complete your mission. He can't be brought down by regular shinobi, that is why he is handled by the impregnators. He will only get close enough to a woman…one that will spark his interest."

I sighed. It wasn't like I was ignorant of what I had to do to "spark his interest".

"Your leave is scheduled for tonight."

My eyes become ice cold as I stare at the image in the mirror. An instrument…made to lure men and entrap them. And still, the one man I wished to do that to had somehow turned the tables. So if men looked at me as some trophy they needed to have, I might as well make good use of that.

Hanayumi guides me to giant bathtub. I sit perfectly still while she rubs special oils, filled with pheromones, onto my skin.

"You can wear something lighter to make you travel quicker. Once you get to the border, you'll change clothes and start acting like a civilian."

She hands me a file.

"Your name is Kumiko. You're an Ikebana expert on her way to decorate the Daimyo's house."  
How ironic…I was to have the same fake job as my mother.

I glance at his file again. He's dark haired, with grey-green eyes. He's almost the same height as I am…kind of short for a guy.

Water element user…and he also mastered fire jutsu. These two didn't work well together. Fugitive from the Hidden Mist…figures.

His file revealed that he was a heavy drinker, though he seemed to be able to hold his liquor. Great, at least we had one thing in common.

"Leave your hair down, Yamanaka-san. It shouldn't burden you."

I look at myself in the mirror. Long blonde hair fell down my shoulders and icy blue eyes stared back at me.

I felt a sarcastic numbness at the image. Beautiful, yet…not beautiful enough? What was the meaning of my beauty if I couldn't ensnare the one guy I wanted…Was it my character that was all messed up? Or was it him…I couldn't bring myself to accept that there was a guy I could not get to fall head over heals with me. Yet he was no ordinary guy…

Still…

"Yamanaka-san?" Hanayumi looked at me with a worried expression. "I haven't been on the field that often but…I know men usually like cheerful women…You should practice more."

I take a deep breath, trying to calm down. I had an instinctive desire to kill her right then and there.

_How'__s that for cheerful?_

"You're ready. This is how you should look when you meet him. Now if you want to change for the journey…"

"Well I don't think I can reach the borders of the Fire Country like this in less than 5 days." _Was she really a shinobi?_

She bowed her head in submission.  
"As you wish."

I change into my usual black atire and hit the road. It's not like I wanted to stay in this damp village anymore.

I put all of my training into going faster. I know it'll drain my chakra, but I want to do this…or die in the process.

When I reach the borders of the fire country, I feel a strange chill up my spine. I should change…and I do so.

Where was he? I wasn't the type to just sit here and wait.

Even if it meant someone would get suspicious…I had to do something.

A hawk was flying above me.

_Shintenshin no jutsu!_

My consciousness was jolted out my body with lighting speed and I was flying…I knew his description and I was a specialist in recon…there was no way he could evade me.

_There you are…heading into a bar…just my type of guy._

_Kai!_

My head hurt a little, as it did every time I used an animal host. The bar was not too far from here and I could get to it fast without wrinkling my kimono.

I let my hair down at the entrance.

Now what?

I usually flirted with guys for fun, but now that I had to do it as a mission it seemed like the hardest thing in the world.

_It's not like he's Itachi._

I enter the establishment with a confident look on my face. He was alone, asking the bartender for a drink.

What should I go for now? Confident, flirty…a touch of bitchy? Or should I just let my angelic appearance do the job for me…His record indicated he was used to the flirty type…might as well act out a little.

I sit next to him at the bar.

"A glass of milk, please."  
_God, that sounded so fake._

Even the bartender looked at me funny. But at least I got _his_ attention.

Grey-green eyes stared at me and he smirked.

"You're not from around here, huh?"  
"You don't miss a thing, do you?"

_Damn my natural sarcasm!_

He smiled. He was actually kind of cute for an S-rank criminal. I could get used to this.

"What's your name?"  
"Kumiko." I answered quickly.

"Funny, you don't look like a Kumiko to me." His smirk ticked me off.

"Really? What do I look like then?"  
"An Ino."

My jaw dropped. I stared at him in awe and my eyes widened in fear, even though I tried to hide it.

"Let's talk outside, shall we? You don't look like the type of girl that likes milk anyway." His tone was still calm and polite, but I got up prepared for anything.

Once we were outside, I reached for the kunai I had hidden.

"No need to do that, hon. It'd be a shame to kill a pretty girl like you right away."

My brows knit. He really did have a weakness for women, even if he knew they were out to kill him.

"What else did you have in mind, Rui?"

He approached me confidently, like a feline.

"The fact that you want me dead turns me on…I want to see your angel face contorted with moans. If you deny me, I'll kill you right here."

I grin. _My, my…he underestimates me. How wrong._

"Why not…Let's go."  
We end up in his hotel room. He takes his shirt off and comes close to me. He kissed me fiercely.

_Idiot…All men were idiots._

I take one step away from him, pretending to undo my kimono.

Please, God, let it work!

_Shi no justu!_

I'm inside his mind now. I grab a kunai from his hidden pocket and place it at his throat. I can feel the cold steel on my skin.

I press a little. A drop of blood emerges and I close my eyes. I could feel everything as if I was in my own body.

There was no turning back now. I'd either kill him and manage to cancel on time to reach my body…or we would both die.

The steel blade presses harder against my throat.

**A/N:** Things will be more action and less thought from now and as the story reaches the climax and the inevitable end  Don't worry, there's still a lot left. I want to thank you guys for your support and I don't want to sound cliché or anything, but it's what keeps me going. Take care!


	20. Chapter 20

**Cut**

Sobs…I could hear sobs. Did this mean I was in Hell already?

My vision was blurry, but I knew I had blood on my hands…blood, spilled all over the floor.

Then realization hit me. The sobs were mine.

I look at my hands, preparing myself to see the blood…the blood that flooded my vision. But they were clean, untouched.

My hands were clean.

Yet Rui's body lay on the floor in front of me, still gushing blood…his eyes still open, staring at me. His expression in death would be one of awe. He died without knowing how.

I'm silent now. But I can't get up from the floor. My hands shake uncontrollably and I feel faint. I have close to zero chakra left.

But I did it. _ I had mastered the forbidden Shi no Jutsu._

I close my eyes and let my head fall back on the floor.

oooooooOOooooooo

"Well done, Yamanaka." Ibiki looked at me as I was lying in the hospital bed. "How'd you manage to get him?"

I smiled a crooked smile.

"You don't want to know."

If I didn't know better I could've sworn Ibiki had a red tint. Good thing I knew better.

"Speedy recovery." He said and walked out of my hospital room.

The Genin team sent after me had cleaned up the mess and taken Rui's body back for examination. They also got me to the hospital, which I should be thankful for since it seemed that damned jutsu leaves the user completely drained of chakra.

I was feeling better though. I had no remorse for killing that man, he deserved it anyway. It got me all pumped up thinking about how I would get my revenge on Itachi.

There was another knock at my door, just before it opened.

My eyes widened. What the hell was he doing here?  
"Sasuke." I said.

His resemblance to Itachi was like a mental blow, but I maintained my composure.

"I see you're working solo now…Impregnator missions?" he spoke, placing some white lilies in a vase by my bed.

"Go figure." I answered, rolling my eyes. I didn't want him here. He was a constant reminder of the person I had become.

His grey-black eyes settled on my face with a pained expression.

"I can't go back together with Sakura."

_Oh no, please don't let him get all emotional on me…_

"Naruto loves her. Naruto's better suited for her."  
"Good." I replied, settling in a more comfortable position. "That's good."

His hand grabbed my wrist firmly.

"Watch it! I'm recuperating here!" I snapped, trying to pull away. His eyes had a strange intensity.

"You know I never loved her. You know I…"

"I'm sorry." I cut him off, managing to withdraw my wrist. "It's better this way."

"For who?" he asked immediately.

I was compelled to tell him the truth. I had hurt him and he deserved to know. Maybe after that he'd leave me alone.

"I…had feelings for Itachi. I only slept with you because you remind me…of him." _God these words were hard to say._

So there now…slap me…punch me…kill me. I was ready for any of those reactions.

Instead he gave out a sick laughter.

"You think I didn't know? I've known ever since he _let you live_!"

Then I remembered what he had told me that day when I had met Itachi for the first time, the day that I was in the hospital.

_Itachi doesn't miss._

He got up. "Actually, I came here to tell you something. Nobody wants that bastard dead more than I do, but you can't do anything about it."  
I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off.

"I saw you training, I know you're trying to become stronger to go after him. Don't. You'll die."

He walked towards the door, opened it and then looked at me again. His expression was soft, yet his eyes were burning.

"I don't want you dead. Not you too."

And he shut the door behind him, leaving me utterly perplex.

oooooooooOOoooooooo

"How the fuck did I not know anything about this?" Shikamaru yelled, knocking the Shogi pieces all over the floor.

"Well I didn't think it was a good idea to tell you and now I know I was right." Asuma let out a cloud of smoke.

"Fuck!"

"Just calm down, genius, she's all right. She completed the mission."

"At what _fucking _cost?!"

Asuma sighed, looking defeated.

"Once she's made up her mind, you know there's no turning back. I don't like this any more than you do."

"Does Inoichi-san know?" Shikamaru asked, sitting down again.

"He'll find out soon enough, I guess. Don't be going around telling him anything." Asuma lit another cigarette. "Look, Shikamaru. Ino's not doing to well right now. Mentally I mean. Any intervention of ours and she'll go downhill. Let her settle her feelings by herself. There ain't nothing good you can do if you get angry with her, what with Choji in a coma and her mother dead."

Shikamaru let his head fall in his palms.

"You're right, Asuma-sensei. I just don't know what to do anymore." His voice was weak. "You know, ever since I met her, I…"

"I know, kid." Asuma cut him off, smiling. "I know."

oooooooooOOooooooooo

Now that I was all healed and ready to go home, I knew I had to set one more things straight before I could break all bonds that tied me to the person I was before.

I didn't feel guilty. Why should I? Men should suffer. They deserved it. Even as I thought that, Shikamaru's image came into my mind and I realized I was wrong. But I couldn't think any other way right now. The exception only strengthened the rule.

Take Sakura for example…she had lost a lot of weight and looked more like a shadow than a human being. So if Sasuke had simply tossed her aside like that, why should I feel bad about doing the same thing to him?

The corruption was spreading through me like a poison and I knew it, but I let it spread. If it didn't spread than I'd be suffering and I tried to keep the part of me that _cared_ for Itachi locked up. And _care_ was an understatement.

Maybe Shikamaru would save me. A part of me was afraid of what I had become and needed saving badly.

Whichever way things would go…I needed him…one last time.

ooooooooOOooooooo

It didn't bother me that I would die. It didn't even bother me that no one would know the truth. After all, it was better for them to think I was a deranged criminal. Sasuke shouldn't suffer any more than he already has.

My illness got worse as the memories of that day slowly came back to me. Now it was just a matter of time.

But I wouldn't let it be in vane. Madara wouldn't have his way that easily. I just needed one more piece of the puzzle to fit right in…and then Konoha would have a new protector, even more powerful than me.

Another cough interrupted my chain of thoughts.

"Itachi-san?"

Kisame had a worried expression.

I wipe the strand of blood from my mouth and look at my hand with indifference.

"Maybe Konan-san can take a look at that? Her medical ninjutsu might…"

"I'm fine." I cut him off.

I had some medical knowledge of my own and applied it whenever necessary to slow the illness down. There was no cure.

Even if there was one…would I want to be cured?  
No.

The answer was as simple as that, I didn't even have to give it much thought. It was silly that I interpreted this as a sort of punishment that would lead my way to some sort of redemption.

But why not? I deserved to die.

ooooooOOoooooo

The bottle of wine was tossed on the floor next to my bed. Blood red, just the way I liked it. I looked at myself in the mirror. I could've fooled anyone with my angelic features, but my eyes were frozen, betraying me.

Too long had I wondered in the dark, I needed someone…someone I could rely on, who would be there for me no matter what I became.

I dialled the number reluctantly. I actually found myself hoping he wouldn't answer.

But he did.

His voice seemed so familiar and yet so strange. I couldn't speak.

"Ino?"  
He is smart…

"Hi."

"Are you…ok?" his voice showed worry.

"Yeah…I…just wanted to hear your voice."

Pause.

Had I pushed him so far away that he didn't care that I missed him?

"I'm coming over." He said and hung up.

I stayed in the same position, phone glued to my ear for a few more seconds, until a feeling of joy overwhelmed me. He did still care, he was still here for me even if I had changed…

I fix my hair and my eyes scout through my closet, looking for something not so comfortable. I changed my mind. It would be much more like the old times if I just greeted him in my pajamas.

The knock on my door came swiftly and I ran downstairs. It's like he used a summoning scroll to get here so fast.

"Hey!" It felt so good to see him that I couldn't help but flash a brilliant smile. He was everything that tied me to the old Ino, everything that felt warm and safe, like home.

He smiled too, although it wasn't his usual smile.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure, sorry." I got out of his way and shut the door.

He sat down and looked at me in a strange way.

"So how come you're suddenly missing me?"

This wasn't what I expected to hear from him, I never thought his tone could hold such bitter irony. I was disarmed.

"I…just do."

"How's Sasuke?"

I knit my brows. His attitude was simply wrong.

"I wouldn't know. I haven't seen him lately." I go to the fridge and take out a bottle of wine.

"So you broke up?"  
I almost dropped it.

"We were never together in the first place."  
"Really? Could've fooled me."

I had showed some remarkable self control regarding his biting remarks, but my temper was starting to get the best of me.

_Calm down, Ino! It's your own fault he's talking like that._

I pour him a glass, looking away.

"Well, it wasn't ever like that."

"I see you're taking on new types of missions too…Good job there on your last one."

I snap my eyes shut. He had no idea how much I had to give up of myself in order to do that. He can't know about the jutsu.

I sat down and took a deep breath.

"I know I've been a real bitch lately, but I…really miss you." As I looked at him I didn't even know if I missed him as a friend or as…something else. "I'm sorry."  
His expression softened and the next thing I knew he was behind me, his arms circling around my shoulders.

"I've missed you too."

His touch was familiar and yet…electric. It stirred something inside of me…it made me think about how it would be to spend the night with someone whom I cared about for a change.

Before I knew what I was doing, I leaned in closer to his lips.

He pulled away quickly and I froze. I never imagined he wouldn't want…me.

"I…wanted to tell you. I'm seeing someone now."

My whole world crumbled.

"Who?" My voice was trembling.

"Temari."

I shut my eyes, so he wouldn't read me like an open book. Why, why her again…as if it wasn't enough that she was the reason we fell apart in the first place.

"You never…" he started.

"I know." I cut him off. "Well, I'm happy for you, I hope it works out."  
"No, you're not…I don't get you…you push me away and make me think I'd never have a chance in hell with you and then suddenly you're jealous that I'm with someone else?"

If I had paid more attention to him, instead of tending to my ego, I would've seen the look in his eyes as if he was waiting for something.

"Jealous? You're delusional…I'm just surprised."

Part of me wanted to slap myself for that.

_Yes, I'm jealous! Because you're supposed to always be there for me!_What I was thinking was terribly egoistical, but it was true nonetheless.

As always, my ego kept me from telling him the truth. Itachi had taught me a few things about hiding my emotions, so I turned the most indifferent eyes towards him.

"I'd…better go." He said. But he wasn't getting up. Unconsciously I realized I only had to say the right words to make him stay.

"Yeah."

And he left.

My last thread binding me to my old self…and possibly my sanity had been broken when he said he was seeing Temari.

I hated her, even though she hadn't wronged me. The fearless and powerful sand kunoichi with her lethal fan…I wanted to stuff it down her throat…her attacks couldn't hurt me, not if I got to her first…

What was I thinking? Why was I jealous?

It was done. There was nothing here for me, not anymore. My father was probably better off without me…Choji was unconscious and Shikamaru…didn't need me anymore.

A single tear flowed out of my eyes.

I was ready.

**A/N:** Expect character death in the next chapter. That's all I'm saying :) Happy New Year everyone!


	21. Intermission

**N/A:** Since I haven't written anything in like forever, I needed some preparation - basically this short short chapter you have before you. I'm sorry if the alert got your hopes up! (In case someone's still reading this).

I promise the next one will come shortly and it will be a real chapter :)

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still don't own.

**Intermission**

Two months had passed since I left Konoha.

I mostly hid in the woods, since any shinobi to leave their village without permission was considered rogue. I sometimes thought if they had sent anyone after me and if so, who it would be.

Strangely enough my cooking skills had improved considerably - my hunting skills too.

All this time not a hint of where he might be. No one had seen or heard anything related to Akatsuki. Bastards were keeping low.

I was laying on the cold ground, in the fetus position, next to the burned out fire. I felt lonelier than I ever had and even though I would never admit it, I often let my tears show before going to sleep.

I had started to believe my whole mission was pointless. I get my revenge on Itachi and then what? Expect that Konoha would just welcome be back with open arms? I'd probably have Akatsuki on my tail. Probably wouldn't be smart to even try and go home...they might hurt the people I cared about.

A deep sigh, hot tears flowing down my face again and the familiar dizziness of near-approaching sleep.

oooooOOooooo

"Thanks Zetsu."  
"We thouht you should know some girl's asking questions about you. She was in the Northern Woods few hours ago. Want us to kill her for you?" The dark side of Zetsu's face grinned.

"No. I'll handle this personally." Good thing I was used to hiding my emotions, my anger flared at the thought of him touching her.

"Suit yourself." Zetsu said, dissapppearing into the tree bark.

"Hunting, Itachi-san?" Kisame said with a grin.

"It appears so."

"I love me a good hunt!"

oooooOOooooo

"Neji, do you understand your mission?" Tsunade turned icy eyes to the Jounin.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama."

"I entrusted this assignment to you for your special skill. I will ask you one last time - are you sure your personal relationship with Ino won't affect your task?"

"We have no personal relationship to speak of - I met her as a Genin, but we exchanged few words."

"Good. You understand better than anyone the importance of keeping our village's justus secret. We cannot let something as dangerous as _Shintenshin_ be revealed to our enemies. If she does not cooperate bring back her corpse."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"I don't think I need to tell you that this is a top-secret assignment."

Neji bowed and exited her chamber.

Tsunade's composure crumbled and her shoulders slumped.

Why did she leave like this? The idiot! Inoichi probably knows already...he knows we have to bring her back or take her out. Our enemies cannot have access to a Yamanaka's brain! The consequences might be...

Tsunade shuddered and took a sip out of her cup of sake.

There is no other way. I chose the lesser evil.

**A/N**: Please tell me if my skills have gotten rusty!


	22. Narrative Pause

Before you think anything terrible about me I just want to say this:  
I'm sorry you had your hopes up! This is not a chapter unfortunately…I just had no way of replying to you all at the same time. You've been great, and I still cannot believe that so many people are still reading this story.

I know how you feel, I always hated when I liked a story and the author didn't continue it…

I DO want to continue this story. It's just that I started it such a long time ago, I don't even know what most of the chapters are about anymore. I have to re-read it so that I can continue.

Also, most of what's written in Struggle is based on my feelings on one point in time or the other (yes, blatant self-insertion…so sue me, it's not like you've never done it ). Feelings and thoughts change with time and I am happy to say I'm in better place right now than when I started Struggle.

I'm not one to share personal things on the internet like this, but I just wanted you all to know I really appreciate the reviews.

Anyway…bottom line is that I will not leave it like this – I will continue it. I just don't want to write a bunch of disappointing crap and I'm waiting until I really get inspired.

I will TRY my best to get the story finished before my next birthday – which is October 17th.

Sooo – thank you all for your reviews and for being so patient…and I am again sorry that you got this alert and couldn't read a new chapter.


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